The Raiders have hired NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as their next general manager. The team made the news official on Monday.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the news.
Raiders are hiring NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as their general manager, league sources tell ESPN. The announcement will be made as early as today.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2018
Mayock will replace Reggie McKenzie, whom the Raiders fired as GM earlier this month.
It's possible that Mayock will have a different title, as the team didn't use the GM term in announcing its search. Mayock likely won't have autonomy on personnel decisions, and would answer to Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who will have final say on all things football.
The team certainly can use Mayock's expertise, though, as it will have four picks within the top 35 of the 2019 NFL Draft in April. How the Raiders use those selections could dictate the direction of the team, which just finished a 4-12 season.
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Mayock attended Sunday's Raiders-Chiefs game in Kansas City, Mo., and confirmed that he had interviewed for the job. Gruden spoke highly of Mayock after the game.
"He loves it. He's a passionate, passionate personnel man," Gruden said. "He's done it for a long time. He has had opportunities to get into the NFL as a general manager. We'll see what happens when the dust settles."
[RELATED: Gruden must allow Mayock's voice to be heard]
Mayock, 60, has never worked in an NFL front office, but he played in the league as a defensive back in 1982 and 1983, and is widely considered one of the top draft experts.
Mayock has been with NFL Network since 2004. He also has television experience with ABC Sports, Fox Sports Net and CBS Sports, and he worked NBC's Notre Dame football broadcasts from 2010 to 2014.