Some were surprised last spring when Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie selected safety Karl Joseph with his No. 1 pick. But obviously, McKenzie knew what he was doing in taking the smallish, injured West Virginia standout.
In fact, the Joseph pick is just the latest example of McKenzie’s draft prowess. Over the past three years, no other general manager has done more to build up his team’s roster than McKenzie.
Joseph this week was named to the NFL All-Rookie team as selected by the Pro Football Writers of America. Although Joseph battled various injuries before and during the season, Joseph played in 12 games, with nine starts, and was a huge boost to the defense with his ability to cover big territory on the back end while also being a strong run defender. He was in on 60 tackles, had an interception, six passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. talked of Joseph’s ability as a tackler, calling him explosive.”
“He’s around the football a lot,” said Norton. “He’s a pack of dynamite. He’s a really good football player. The more good football players you get on the team, the better you get.”
That’s where McKenzie comes in. Consider: Over the past three seasons, McKenzie has hit the jackpot on his top draft choices. It’s one thing to have high draft picks. It’s often something completely different to cash in on them in a big way, and McKenzie has.
Three years ago, McKenzie picked Khalil Mack, Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson with his top three choices. In 2015, it was Amari Cooper, Mario Edwards Jr. and Clive Walford. In 2016 it was Joseph, Jihad Ward and Shilique Calhoun. While Ward and Calhoun haven’t yet made huge contributions, Joseph showed he could be part of the Raiders defense for a long time.
Raiders
It will be harder and harder for McKenzie to keep up that streak of immediate, high-impact draft choices this spring and in following years, as the Raiders improve and their draft position drops from the top of the first round to the bottom.
This year, the Raiders will draft 24th overall, down from No. 14 in 2016, No. 4 in 2015 and No. 5 in 2014. But, given McKenzie’s track record, it would be tough to bet against him. Joseph is just the latest example of the GM’s ability to pick the right player.
