The 2021 NFL Draft is one the Raiders would like to forget. Picking inside the top 20, the Raiders needed to add talent to their offensive line and wound up reaching on Alex Leatherwood. A year after the pick, the Raiders released Leatherwood as it was clear he wasn’t cut out to be a starting offensive tackle.
But what should the Raiders have done at No. 17? Hindsight is always 20/20, but it’s fun to look back and see what could have occurred in Round 1.
In a recent article by The Athletic, they re-drafted the entire Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Raiders made a different selection at No. 17, going with Miami (FL) defensive end Jaelan Phillips. Here is what the site had to say about that selection:
Much has been made about what happened with the Raiders and Leatherwood. There are a lot of options for a better pick here, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Phillips — one of my favorite young edges and a player who should continue to improve after recording 77 pressures last year — being paired with Maxx Crosby.
Picking Phillips in Round 1 likely means the Raiders wouldn’t have had to spend big money on Chandler Jones in free agency in 2022 and would have allowed them to pick a different player (Maybe Christian Gonzalez?) at No. 7 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Those are just the few ripple effects that a bad draft pick can have on a franchise.
Phillips is one of the young stars of the NFL as he graded out incredibly well by Pro Football Focus in Year 2. With Vic Fangio now in as his defensive coordinator, the sky is the limit for the former first-round pick. It’s just too bad he wasn’t playing next to Maxx Crosby in Las Vegas. Oh well.
