When Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden and GM Reggie McKenzie turn in their first draft card on Thursday, they will be charting the course for the team for years to come.
Which means, they’re going to need to get this first pick – this draft class – right. They’re going to need to hit a home run with this year’s crop of rookies.
To put it simply, in trying to rebound from a horrific 2017, they’re going to need to get a lot more out of this draft class than they’ve gotten out of their last few classes – something Gruden has already noted.