A look at Raiders’ decade of second-round picks

Mario Edwards | Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

P.J. Hall’s failure is the latest in a long line of Day 2 draft busts

The Las Vegas Raiders were widely criticized for throwing in a 2020 second-round pick in their 2018 trade of Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. It seemed excessive and unnecessary. But maybe they were onto something.

The Raiders just aren’t very good drafting in the second round and this week’s release of defensive tackle P.J. Hall is the latest example. Hall was the No. 57 overall pick in 2018 and he did very little before the Raiders gave up on him after just two seasons.

Hall’s departure has continued an ugly trend this decade.

Let’s take a deeper look at the Raiders’ second-round picks in the past decade:

Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Trayvon Mullen

2019
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen: Perhaps Mullen is going to change the trend. He flashed as a rookie and he has a chance to earn a starting job in 2020 and become a mainstay for the Raiders.

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

P.J. Hall

2018
P.J. Hall: When he was drafted from small-school Sam Houston State, Hall said he thought he would be taken in the fifth round. He probably should have been.

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Obi Melifonwu

2017
Safety Obi Melifonwu: Like Hall, he was a workout warrior. But in the end, he could never stay healthy and he was cut after just one season. Melifonwu played in just five games as a Raider. That’s a killer.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Jihad Ward

2016
Defensive lineman Jihad Ward: The No. 44 overall pick was often injured with the Raiders and was traded for receiver Ryan Switzer to Dallas in 2018. Neither player stuck with their new teams, but they are both playing for other teams.

Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images

Mario Edwards

2015
Defensive lineman Mario Edwards: The Raiders had big hopes for the No. 35 overall pick. He flashed here and there, but otherwise was just a guy. He was cut after three seasons.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Derek Carr

2014
Quarterback Derek Carr: The undisputed prize of this group. Carr is entering his seventh season the Raiders’ starting quarterback. He has his critics, but Carr provided great value for being the No. 36 overall draft pick.

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Menelik Watson

2013
Guard Menelik Watson: Like Edwards, he was highly regarded, but he could never find his groove with the Raiders. He missed his third and final season with the team with an injury.

2012
No second-round pick.

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Stefen Wisniewski

2011
Offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski: The nephew of Raiders’ great offensive lineman, Steve Wisniewski, Little Wiz was a solid player for the Raiders as he was part of Al Davis’ last draft class. He played guard and center for the Raiders. They did not make a big push to re-sign him in 2015. He went on to win Super Bowl rings with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He is now with Pittsburgh.

Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

Lamarr Houston

2010
Defensive lineman Lamarr Houston: He was a solid player, who left for a big deal in free agency with Chicago and then was injured while celebrating a sack in a blowout defeat and was never the same.

Conclusion:
Carr was a great pick, and there were a few solid picks, but there were way too many wasted picks in the second round by the Raiders in the past 10 years. That has to change in the next decade.

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