Would the Vikings Have Drafted Damon Arnette if the Raiders Didn’t?

If the Raiders hadn’t drafted Damon Arnette were the Vikings ready to take him?

Maybe not at pick 22 (most would agree Justin Jefferson was a better value at that spot), but it sounds like Arnette might have been in the conversation for the Vikings at pick 31.

Courtney Cronin on Twitter

Damon Arnette at 19 feels like a reach. Several sources indicated to me that Vikings coaches loved him, but he was widely considered a cornerback with a Day 2 grade.

For what it’s worth, we know Mike Mayock understands Arnette was a player he could have probably gotten a little later in the draft. Arnette’s shorter arms and modest 40-time understandably dropped his draft stock, but the Raiders didn’t own a second-round pick and Mayock wasn’t willing to miss on him.

“The reason he’s not a reach is because of his grade in our system,” Mayock said of Arnette after the draft. “Did I think we could have moved down and got him? Maybe. But we didn’t want to lose him.”

It would be interesting to know if the Raiders had any opportunities to trade down from pick 19 like they did at pick 12. Ultimately, Mayock and Jon Gruden were unwilling to risk missing on Henry Ruggs III and it sounds like they may have had a similar approach with Arnette at pick 19.

Judging by his expression in the draft room, Mayock didn’t have any buyer’s remorse after the pick. He got his guy.

Time will tell if he got the right guy.

twitter: @raidersbeat

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9 thoughts on “Would the Vikings Have Drafted Damon Arnette if the Raiders Didn’t?

  1. Better Safe than Sorry…. Lots of Monday Morning Quarterbacking going on with skeptics and analysts that have never played or coached a game. Taking one player over another at any particular time depends a lot on your particular need, Dame scheme and team chemistry. Mayock and Gruden have a plan let’s not pay attention to the contempt prior to investigation prior to seeing how the plan works out! GO RAIDERS!!

  2. I understand it looks like Mayock reached, and he did. But not having a 2nd round pick and nobody to trade with he had no choice. But real problem will be when the players hit the field in August. The Raiders had the good fortune to draft Amic Robertson in the 4th round. To me he was the top DB in this draft (compare his tape to Okuda) Just found out PFF feels the same way. Trust me, either Arnett or Joyner will be on the bench. Not Robertson. The only reason Amic didn’t go 1st round is because of his height. Watch his film and you’ll see it doesn’t matter. Amic will make teams regret for making him sweat all the way to the 4th round
    and make them pay just like Russell Wilson is still doing today.

  3. If they got 1 of the 3 big name cb’s in f/a (like they shudda done), they would have had more options with that 19th pick. They responded to the lack of outside threat at wr, but if the pass defense is as porous as has been the last bushel basket of seasons, then the failure to solidify the secondary by landing one of those f/a’s prior to the draft will probably be the reason.

  4. This guy would not have been around for us in the 3rd round. He was a 2nd round pick but we did not have one, so it made sense to draft him with the second 1th round pick. He will not be the number 1 corner for us. That is Mullen, who held his own after coming back from injury.

  5. Time will tell … Due to his draft position he will most likely make the team …due to a standard 3 year contract and be given the opportunity to succeed …I hope he does … I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of X Raiders playing in the league . I hope he sticks …like all of our selections ., But that’s probably not going to happen …anyway good luck guys …Go Raiders !

  6. Talk about a missed opportunity, the Raiders had a chance to go after, sign to the practice squad and prepare for the future by signing Anthony Gordon. That would have been a win, win situation for both Anthony Gordon and the Raiders. The quarterback guru coach could have gotten the franchise’s future quarterback on the cheap. Hopefully, Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden will offer the Seattle Seahawks either or both DeShone Kizer and Nathan Peterman for this young man. I am extremely disappointed that Raiders management whiffed on this opportunity. If Raiders management had gotten this young man, then they would not even have to consider thinking about drafting a quarterback in next year’s draft. In my opinion, this young man is the closest thing to Tom Brady coming out of college. He’s a gem and if he ever gets his chance, every team that did not sign him will regret it. Remember, Tom Brady was drafted 199th and look at how many teams had a very low opinion of him. Well, look at him now.

  7. Anxiety….the Raiders brass has it and the 49ers doesnt. They could have traded down last year too with Ferrell. Oh and don’t forget they also mistakenly traded away this years second round pick in the Mack trade. Jalen Hurts would have been good with that second, or somebody that can sack Patrick Mahomes before he burns use deep again. They trade Mack away, but we are still waiting for his potential replacement years later. ” The quarterback must go down and he must go down hard” remember? They always spin it and say we got our guy, sure, but they could have got more guys. For a team trying to rebuild, you would think that would be the goal. Denver drafted like 12 guys this year I think? In the end the proof is on the field, well they have made the playoffs just once in the last 17 years. Think of all the front office draft reaches and mistakes in that time. Though Reggie did make a couple of good picks.

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