I can't remember the last time I left the first round of a Raiders draft feeling good. While the jury is still out on D.J. Hayden (and even that pick was classified as a reach), Rolando McClain and Darren McFadden were the last two well-received picks (at the time) and they came way back in 2009 and 2010.
With Mack, the question was simply whether the right player was going to drop. As many people said, there was a top 4 and then a drop-off (so now is a good time to start sending the Jaguars a thank-you card). As soon as the Jags took Bortles, Oakland knew they were getting Mack or Sammy Watkins, and while Watkins would have added some offensive excitement, Mack was the player Oakland really needed.
Yes, he's a small school guy from Buffalo, but at the end of the day, experts almost unanimously loved this guy - whether he was the No. 1 ranked player (per Mike Mayock) or not, everyone had him in the top 5. This was a great pick by McKenzie, and Mack is a guy I expect we'll see as a stalwart in Oakland for the next decade.
I love the selection of Khalil Mack. I think he can be to the Raiders what Clay Matthews has been to Green Bay, what Terrell Suggs is to the Ravens, and what Demarcus Ware has been to the Cowboys. There really hasn't been a guy on the Raider defense for many years that opposing coordinators had to game-plan for. Khalil Mack is that type of player. Raider teams of old were built in hard-hitting, physical defensive play, from guys like Howie Long, Lyle Alzado, Ted Hendricks and Jack Tatum. Khalil Mack could have fit right in on a team with any of those guys.
Reggie hasn't inspired much confidence with his draft picks thus far in his tenure as Raiders GM, but Khalil Mack was under strong consideration for the first pick overall and for Oakland to get him at five was a home run. Let's hope Reggie can continue to draft solid players like Mack for the rest of the weekend. It will go a long way, combined with his excellent feee agent signings, to making Oakland's defense one that teams will no longer be able to take lightly.
With Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Greg Robinson taken, Khalil Mack was easily the best player available. Mack was viewed as a top five talent. NFL.com's Mike Mayock ranked Mack the number one overall player in his top 100 prospects. Raider fans here at S&BP ranked Mack as the third overall player in the Community Big Board.
It just so happens that he also fills a massive need. Before free agency began, Sio Moore was the only pass rusher the Raiders had on the roster. Now, add Mack, Justin Tuck and Lamarr Woodley to that list.
Mack holds the NCAA record for career forced fumbles(16) and tackles for a loss (75). His total of 28.5 career sacks is ranked the 25th highest in NCAA history. He is a lethal pass rusher that is also a threat in the run game. Mack can drop back into coverage and he had three interceptions in 2013. He also has a 40-inch vertical and great explosion off the line.
