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In a tedious display of football Sunday, the Raiders hurt their chances of landing the first pick of the next NFL draft by defeating yet another bad Jaguars team 19-14 in Las Vegas.
Across the country, the Giants — setting themselves to draft their favorite player from a college class that’s drawing only lukewarm reviews — moved alone atop the draft order by allowing the Falcons to score 34 consecutive points.
The Raiders (3-12) fell a game behind the Giants (2-13) into a tie with four other teams in the draft queue by having the temerity to end a 10-game losing streak.
The Giants need a franchise quarterback, a reality Drew Lock reinforced by throwing two passes the Falcons returned for touchdowns.
Though he’s made a hash of the current roster, Giants general manager Brandon Beane ensured lifetime employment in the NFL by drafting Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen for the Bills, seventh overall, in 2018.
The Raiders need a franchise QB, too — unless the NFL allows Aidan O’Connell to face the Jaguars every game
The draft-eligible QB getting the most media acclaim is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
The 23-year-old senior led the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and finished first in the Big 12 Conference in completion percentage (74.2), touchdown passes (35) and passing yards per game (327.2). Sanders rushed for four touchdowns and showed elusiveness in the pocket. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he has started 49 collegiate games, including 26 at Jackson State.
Sanders’ ability to read defenses is no doubt informed by the QB’s father and current head coach, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.
About Shedeur Sanders, there’s a wider variety of opinions than is typical for a prospect who may go first overall.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler are veteran draft analysts who converse with several NFL scouts and personnel men.
While Kiper lists Sanders as his top QB prospect and No. 3 player overall, Brugler grades Sanders as his third QB prospect and 23rd player overall.
Brugler, for now, prefers Miami’s Cam Ward and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe over Sanders. He’s not wild about any of the QBs, listing none among his top-15 prospects.
Where Brugler, Kiper and their NFL sources agree is that Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is the NFL’s top prospect.
If Sunday’s win over the Jaguars were to cost the Raiders a quarterback they wanted, that may not be such a bad thing based on their history.
The Raiders have drafted four QBs in the first round, never landing a star and often receiving headaches.
Roman Gabriel, whom they took first in the 1962 AFL draft, chose to go to the NFL’s Rams, thus rendering his pick an empty selection by the Raiders.
JaMarcus Russell never came close to rewarding Al Davis for choosing him first overall in 2007, nor did Todd Marinovich pan out after going 24th in 1991.
Marc Wilson had the best outcome of the four. The Raiders went 32-28 in his starts after selecting him 15th in 1980.
Beyond hope?
The Jaguars can attest that having the No. 1 draft pick doesn’t guarantee Super Bowl contention or anything close to it.
Their NFL-worst record in 2020 enabled them to draft Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence the following spring. The draftniks all agreed he would be better than average. Some projected him as a star.
In Lawrence’s rookie year, marked by rookie head coach Urban Meyer’s reign of error on and off the field, the Jaguars once again posted the league’s worst record.
They used the top pick on Travon Walker, a defensive lineman from Georgia.
Lawrence and Walker haven’t performed up to their draft slots, but nor have they flopped. They just haven’t been able to pull the long-inept Jags out of the muck. Losing about two of three games across the nearly five seasons, Jacksonville stands 28th in the NFL with a .364 win rate since it drafted Lawrence.
San Diegans who still care about the Chargers may be encouraged to know who built the bulk of those five Jaguars teams.
He’s Trent Baalke. He won a power struggle with current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh when they were the general manager and head coach, respectively, of the San Francisco 49ers.
Looks like 49ers ownership picked the wrong football alpha.
Originally Published:
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