Grading every 2022 Raiders draft pick; including BLOCKBUSTER deal for Davante Adams
The Las Vegas Raiders were one team that quietly won the 2022 NFL Draft. No one is talking about them because they yielded premium draft capital to secure two-time All-Pro WR Davante Adams.
Shortly after the trade, back on March 17, I spoke about DA going to LV. If you missed that article don’t worry, you can catch up below:
In my real-time analysis, I gave the Raiders an A for the trade while the Green Bay Packers received a C. How did I do in real-time compared to hindsight now that the 2022 NFL draft has concluded? Let’s find out ;)
Raiders-Packers Trade | R1 & R2 pick
As I predicted, the Packers drafted Georgia ILB Quay Walker at No. 22. They then used the R2 draft capital (No. 53) to trade up with the division rival Minnesota Vikings for the rights to draft legacy WR Christian Watson.
1st-round pick (No. 22) | ILB Quay Walker
2nd-round pick (No. 34) WR Christian Watson
Analysis:
Who would you rather have? A two-time All-Pro WR OR two likely starters with lower ceilings? Give me the sure thing in Adams. They don’t grow on trees.
Despite not having a first or second-round pick, they yielded Adams and that alone warrants a win in my book:
Grade: A
R3 (No. 90) | OG Dylan Parham (via Titans)
My latest BW+ article was dedicated on this guy. If you missed that article you can catch up on that below…
In the third round (No. 86), GM Dave Ziegler traded back four spots with the Tennessee Titans.
This is a weak draft class which is why No. 1 QB Malik Willis slid down draft boards.
Titans GM Jon Robinson needed a QB--he reached for one by moving up from No. 90 to No. 86 to secure Willis’ services. Below are the parameters of the deal:
Raiders Get:
3rd-round pick (No. 90) | OG Dylan Parham
5th-round pick (No. 169) | TRADED to MIN
Titans Get:
3rd-round pick (No. 86) | QB Malik Willis
From the previous article, you can tell that I like Parham a lot. No question, Ziegler and McDaniels made the right play. He should start Day 1 at OG.
Grade: A
R4 (No. 122) | RB Zamir White (via Vikings)
Ziegler wasn’t done moving up and down the draft board. As the board fell, he saw value on his vertical board. Seeing that RBs were flying off the board in R3 as three RBs were chosen in the 90’s:
3rd-round pick (No. 91) | RB Rachaad White (Bucs)
3rd-round pick (No. 93) | RB Tyrion Davis-Price (49ers)
3rd-round pick (No. 98) | RB Brian Robinson Jr. (Commanders)
Ziegler knew the clock was ticking on the horizontal need for a RB. But draft position wasn’t on their side. Raiders sitting at No. 126 saw yet another RB come off the board, as the Houston Texans drafted RB Dameon Pierce at (No. 107).
The Raiders had to leap frog the division rival Los Angeles Chargers for the RB of their choice. They were successful--striking a trade with the Minnesota Vikings as the two swapped 4th-round and 7th-round picks.
Raiders Get:
4th-round pick (No. 122) | RB Zamir White
7th-round pick (No. 250) |
Vikings Get:
4th-round pick (No. 126) |
7th-round pick (No. 227) |
At 6-0, 214, White is a power back tailor-made for a inside zone, gap-based scheme. He won’t wow you with that second-gear in open space, but he absorbs contact like a sponge and can create yards after contact.
He is somewhat of a one-trick pony and could be a liability in pass-pro but his tough, physical, demeanor will be a welcomed addition in short-yardage and goal-line situations despite tearing ACLs in both his knees.
The fact the Raiders didn’t commit long-term to RB Josh Jacobs--could be a sign that his days in Las Vegas are numbered under this new regime.
Grade: A
R4 (No. 126) | NT Neil Farrell Jr. (via Vikings)
The Vikings were among my losers of the 2022 NFL Draft. No surprise here as Ziegler made another phone call to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Just minutes after trading their fourth-round pick (No. 126) to move up for RB Zamir White--the Raiders got that pick back from Minnesota. LOL!
Raiders Get:
4th-round pick (No. 126) | NT Neil Farrell Jr.
Vikings Get:
5th-round pick (No. 165)
5th-round pick (No. 169)
On the clock just four picks later, they landed LSU product DE Neil Farrell Jr.
The Raiders are transitioning to a 3-4 base from a 4-3 front and despite being in a 425 scheme 65-70% of the time, no 3-4 team can have success without a stout nose tackle up front.
Farrell is a guy, I’ve covered for two seasons now. He has been well coached and always looking to put in that extra work. How do I know? Well, a good friend of mine was his defensive line coach--former NFL Pro Bowl DE Andre Carter.
At 6-4, 330, 32 1/4 arm length, Farrell is the ideal HWS a scout looks for in a 3-4 base.
However, just like White he is somewhat of a one-trick pony. Don’t expect him to peek into the backfield for sacks--that’s not his strong suit. But what you are getting is a very strong football player at the POA who can win the two-gap scheme.
Often times we hear of defensive lineman who are considered “space eaters.” Players who occupy real-estate freeing up their second-level backers. Rarely, do you hear about a two-gapper who can not only occupy grass but make plays despite facing double-teams. That’s Farrell.
Back on March 11, new DC Patrick Graham spoke about what he valued from his defensive front seven. You can catch that article below:
The same core values he touched on then speaks volumes on why the team drafted Farrell. He’s a scheme-fit.
For all you Raider Nation who want an EXCLUSIVE on what to expect from Farrell in year one, you’re in for a treat. My guy Andre Carter will be on my YouTube channel, telling us everything you need to know. I think you will like what he has to say.
Grade: A
R5 (No. 175) | DE Matthew Butler (via Rams)
How did this pick come about? Well, initially the Raiders traded OT Trent Brown to the New England Patriots for a 5th-round pick (No. 164).
Ziegler then traded back 11 spots with the Los Angeles Rams in a 2:1 deal. Parameters of the trade below:
Raiders Get:
5th-round pick (No. 175) | DE Matthew Butler
7th-round pick (No. 238)
Rams Get:
5th-round pick (No. 164)
This was again Ziegler doing things the “Patriot Way.” Building the team from the inside/out. Butler is a fundamentally sound football player who plays with good technique allowing leverage to take over. He will be inserted at DE as 4T and will be a strong rotational depth piece with solid upside over the next four seasons.
Grade: A
7th-round picks
To be honest, not much to talk about here as this was a weak draft class to begin with. But with that being said, can’t knock them for these picks or any NFL team in R6-R7. So we will give them a passing grade as these two picks were acquired via earlier trades…
7th-round pick (No. 238) | OT Thayer Munford (via Rams)
7th-round pick (No. 250) | RB Brittain Brown (via Vikings)
Grade: Complete
How did Ziegler do?
I thought GM Ziegler did a tremendous job in his first NFL draft. Not only did he pick up an All-Pro WR before the festivity began but he made sound moves up and down the draft board to target the coveted players he wanted all along.
Draft Grade: A
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