Hindsight is always 20/20, especially when it comes to the NFL Draft. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t criticize some of the team’s worst selections, right?
In a recent piece by ESPN, beat writers from all 32 teams were able to “re-pick” one draft pick from the past five drafts (2014-2018). Making the pick for the Raiders was Paul Gutierrez, who selected defensive end Yannick Ngakoue over Jihad Ward at pick No. 44 of the 2016 NFL Draft. Check out his explanation for the selection below:
The Raiders had three consecutive whiffs on second-round picks from 2015 through 2017, but let’s go with the selection of Ward based on his lack of production in Oakland and, well, Oakland’s current quandary at edge rusher and the dearth of production when it comes to sacking quarterbacks. Yes, we realize trading away Khalil Mack did not help matters, but when you consider Ward had all of one sack in 21 games for the Raiders and Ngakoue, who went 25 picks after Ward, has 29.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a touchdown and a Pro Bowl nod in 48 games for the Jaguars, well, there it is. More insult to injury — Ward seemed to find his footing with three sacks for the Colts last season.
Ward seemed destined to fail from the moment he entered the league. During his two years at Illinois, Ward was only able to record 13 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. To make matters worse, he tested as a well-below-average athlete at the NFL Combine, posting a 25 inch vertical and a 5.11 40-yard dash.
Ward was eventually traded for receiver Ryan Switzer, who didn’t last long in Oakland either. In hindsight, picking almost anyone over Jihad Ward would have proven to be the wise move for Oakland. But as you can see from the ESPN piece, every team has at least one draft pick they regret.
