It’s draft day and things are moving quickly so no time for a grandiose buildup. These are my THREE predictions for the Raiders’ draft. I’m speaking with authority, but rest assured, these are only guesses.
Number 1…
Not only is Myles Jack not going to Jacksonville with the 5th pick, he isn’t going in the top 10. He’s too big of a gamble for teams that have “earned” a high pick and most general managers picking in the top 10 don’t have the clout to risk throwing the pick away. Let someone else jump on that grenade – take a healthy player and keep your job for another year. If Jack isn’t at pick 14 for the Raiders, I think they’ll find a way to trade down. So, with that, I guess this will be four predictions.
Number 2…
Eli Apple is the kind of physical cornerback the Raiders like and I think he will drop significantly this evening. There’s been an assassination attempt on his character, but I couldn’t care less about what he can do in the kitchen – I’m actually glad if he can’t cook. I haven’t cooked a meal in 10 years and if he doesn’t spend his free time dicing vegetables and carefully placing parsley leaves, he’s okay in my book. Also, a good rule of thumb for scouting football at every level – football skills always trump culinary art skills. If the Raiders trade down, I think Apple will be a target (that’s a weird sentence, I know). And on the football field, he certainly has my respeck.
Btw, Eli's dad is a retired five star chef. We eat well. So stop playing with our name. Next time you say our name, put some respeck on it 😳
— Annie Apple (@SurvivinAmerica) April 27, 2016
Number 3…
Robert Nkemdiche to the Raiders? Maybe. But I don’t think they’re taking him in the first round. In fact, I think Nkemdiche is going to slide to at least the very end of the first round. Why? Well, in part because no one wants the next Johnny Manziel. Maybe Robert Football won’t turn out like Johnny Football, but big Rob (while under some kind of influence) recently fell out of a fourth-floor hotel room and plans to buy a panther when the draft is over. Considering he survived the nasty hotel fall, Nkemdiche can probably hold his own with the large predatory cat, but every team will be wondering what’s coming next – especially when the money hits the bank account. Nkemdiche is a great player, but I’m not doing cartwheels if he’s the centerpiece of my draft.
That’s it. I think Jack drops to the Raiders or at least darn close. Eli Apple and Robert Nkemdiche both slip, and one will end up donning the silver and black.
And now one for the road… Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos for a 4th-round pick.
Enjoy the draft everyone!
twitter: @raidersbeat
