Being a man who grew up in Los Angeles and played his college football in one of the Raiders former homes, (L.A. Coliseum, with the USC Trojans) Curtis Conway really knows the Oakland Raiders forwards and backwards. Or inside and out, whichever colloquialism you prefer.
Conway is currently a studio analyst for the Pac 12 Network and co-host of Total Access on the NFL Network. He was in town as part of NFL Network’s broadcast and coverage of the 2015 NFL Draft.
At NFLN’s Media Day to preview the draft, we talked a whole host of topics including the Oakland Raiders, the wide receiver depth in this draft class (Conway knows a thing or two about playing receiver in the NFL, the NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders stadium share in Carson idea, the NFL rooting interests of Los Angeles and much much more)
We had Amari Cooper slotted to the Raiders at #4, one of the eight picks we got right in our NFL mock draft. (Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN got 7 and Mike Mayock of NFL Network got seven. #JustSayin)
“They can go anywhere, and I think they’re going to get a good player,” Conway said on NFL Draft eve.
“I don’t think I pass Amari Cooper up thinking about the second round, I think I grab him. The problem is the top of the second round there’s going to be some really solid receivers sitting there. Do you pass on Amari Cooper or Kevin White knowing there’s an Agholor or a Dorsett, who, although a solid receiver is not Amari or Kevin White?”
“But you can get a really a stud of a defensive player at #4 and then get a number two receiver in the second round.”
On the heels of a decade long NFL Draft drought, the Oakland Raiders have absolutely been killing it on Draft night(s)/day(s). Last year the silver and black struck gold twice with Derek Carr and Khalil Mack. I love the Cooper pick. I really think Reggie McKenzie is killing it right now.
You can start to see the potential “green shoots” of growth and progress now. When you consider all that McKenzie accomplished with the Green Bay Packers, the consistent winners that he helped build up there, that successful track record gives reason for optimism in Oakland.
I’m a big fan of the Mario Edwards pick too. The DT from Florida State had a first round grade; he just got caught up in a numbers game due to a very deep draft for DL.
Clive Walford seems like a tremendous value in round three as well. He’s a perfect fit; given team needs. I don’t believe in immediate Draft grades; I think you can only evaluate drafts to the point of grading them much later. I will say that come 2017, 2018 or whatever, you’ll look back at this being a very productive draft for the Oakland Raiders.
Have a listen to the podcast of our exclusive conversation below:
Follow Curtis Conway on Twitter @CurtisConway80 and at Curtis Conway .com
Go here for Conway’s Chicago Bears analysis.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and Instagram (@paulmbanks)