The Las Vegas Raiders were widely criticized for their selection of offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the NFL Draft. It turns out they reportedly had reason to believe they had to take him then or risk not getting him at all.
Leatherwood was graded as a second-round pick by a number of draft analysts, and the pick was questioned by experts such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. Amid widespread criticism that the pick was a reach, ESPN’s Jim Nagy reported that other teams picking between No. 20 and No. 32 had a first round grade on Leatherwood, and the lineman likely would have been a first-round pick even if the Raiders hadn’t selected him.
The pick may still prove to be a reach. However, it’s pretty clear that the Raiders weren’t the only team that saw something worthwhile in Leatherwood.
The Raiders had been having some fun on social media with the pick. Perhaps they feel more confident about that with this information.
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