My primary challenge as a mock drafter is that Jon Gruden works in mysterious ways. Although Mike Mayock is the Oakland Raiders’ nominal General Manager, Gruden has final say in personnel decisions. Thus, I must draft with one and only one of the following mindsets:
- To “draft for the Raiders”: simply make (what I think is) the best selection for the team.
- To “draft as the Raiders”: simply predict what the Raiders will do.
I choose to draft for the Raiders.