Analyst not a fan of major Raiders offseason move

This offseason was all about making improvements for the Las Vegas Raiders.

In most departments, analysts have said that the Raiders have made significant strides. Bringing in Pete Carroll raises the floor dramatically, while trading for Geno Smith should improve what has been rough quarterback play over the past couple of seasons. Making the playoffs still feels like a tough ask, but this Raiders unit should be a far cry from the four-win team they were a season ago.

However, one analyst had to raise a few question marks on one of the more prominent changes the Raiders made.

Some concerns about value are dogging the Raiders in regards to their offseason moves.

In his offseason grades column, ESPN analyst Seth Walder gave the Raiders a B grade, but criticized the decision to draft running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick.

”Jeanty is a thrilling player, don’t get me wrong. But it’s bad to take a running back that early considering he’ll only provide surplus value if he is elite because his contract is already expensive compared to the position. The opportunity cost of taking a player at a premium position (it’s much harder to find an elite tackle, wide receiver or edge rusher in free agency) is so high,” Walder wrote.

While it is rare for running backs to be drafted so high nowadays as Jeanty was, it was far and away the most pressing need for the Raiders after they shored up the quarterback position with Smith.

The Raiders had the worst running game in the NFL last year, and that will not fly with two of the more run-heavy play-callers in Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. While they did sign Raheem Mostert, the Raiders were still in need of a franchise running back to take the pressure off of Smith. With Jeanty emerging last season as the most exciting running back prospect in the last decade, it was too hard for the Raiders to pass up bringing him in.

Questions about value will surely persist, but Jeanty will instantly shut those down if he lives up to the immense hype.