Report: Jon Gruden Will Have “Final Say” In Raiders Draft Decisions

For the first time since he arrived in Oakland, general manager Reggie McKenzie will not have final say over the Raiders’ decisions in the draft.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair that role now belongs to the Raiders $100 million head coach.

Both Jon Gruden and McKenzie have danced around the question for months and owner Mark Davis hinted at McKenzie’s role changing a few weeks ago, but there has never been any real clarification.

A media report isn’t the Raiders confirming anything, but the team is never going to address the details of the power structure between Gruden and McKenzie.

Since Gruden was hired, the only detail that really mattered was the $100 million commitment Davis made to his head coach – McKenzie is being paid only a fraction of that amount.

For practical purposes, McKenzie seems to have his familiar role, but now decisions go through Gruden for final approval – including the draft picks the Raiders will make over the next three days.

McKenzie has always been a general manager that welcomed input from his coaching staff and he doesn’t have an ego. He’ll be fine conceding final say to Gruden. The question moving forward will be more about how Gruden views the organizational structure and what changes, if any, he will make to the scouting department – potentially including McKenzie.

Most believe Gruden and McKenzie will work well together and that’s what Davis is hoping will happen. So far, it seems like that has been the case.

twitter: @raidersbeat