The Oakland Raiders are headed into the NFL Draft blind after the dismissal of their scouts by head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock.
With only six days until the draft, the Raiders top brass will be on their own in Nashville. The Raiders own three first round picks, including the fourth pick in the draft.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gruden and Mayock dismissed the teams scouts due to trust issues:
Sources: #Raiders coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock sent their scouts home for the weekend and they are not expected to return by draft time. The belief is they don’t know who to trust and wanted to clear the room.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 19, 2019
The Raiders have had issues both on and off the field in the past. However, with great change and hopefully great results in the near future, squandering this draft is something the team can not afford.
Recently, it was reported that the Raiders are not expected to select a quarterback in the first round.
Currently, the team appears to be sticking with Derek Carr at quarterback. Carr finished the season fifth in completion rate and 12th in passing yards.
Furthermore, the Raiders will be looking to improve the rest of their roster in the draft. One area that needs serious improvement is defense. The team allowed opponents to score more than any other team.
However, without any scouts in the situation room on draft day, the direction of the team remains up in the air. The NFL Draft begins on April 25.
