Most people believe that you can’t truly grade a draft class until at least three years after the players were picked. However, we hardly ever go back and do such a thing.
Today, we are looking back at the Raiders’ draft class from 2016, grading each selection by Oakland. So without further ado, let us begin!
Safety Karl Joseph (Round 1, No. 14 overall)
With their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected the hard-hitting safety Karl Joseph from West Virginia. Joseph has been solid in the NFL, but he hasn’t exactly been the player the team envisioned when they selected him over the likes of Taylor Decker and Keanu Neal.
The Raiders are likely to decline his fifth-year option, making him a free agent in 2020. This wasn’t a bad pick by the Raiders as Joseph can still play at a high level, but it wasn’t a great pick either.
GRADE: B-
Defensive End Jihad Ward (Round 2, No. 44 overall)
With their second-round pick, the Raiders selected 3-4 defensive end Jihad Ward from Syracuse.
Ward started 14 games for the Raiders, totaling just 32 tackles and one sack in two seasons. He was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for slot receiver Ryan Switzer, who was then moved during training camp. Ward caught on with the Colts in 2018, recording three sacks in six games.
While he’s still playing in the NFL, this pick didn’t pan out the way the Raiders’ hoped. He’s a borderline NFL player who didn’t make much of an impact for Oakland.
GRADE: D
Linebacker Shilique Calhoun (Round 3, No. 75 overall)
In the third round, the Raiders grabbed a highly athletic edge rusher from Michigan State in Shilque Calhoun. In Oakland, Calhoun played as a 3-4 outside linebacker where he was forced to drop into coverage often.
However, that doesn’t excuse his lack of success in the NFL. Calhoun is still on the Raiders’ roster, despite being waived and re-signed multiple times by the team. He’s yet to start a game for the Raiders, but he has appeared in 26 contests, recording just a 0.5 sack.
Time is running out for Calhoun to be a productive player in the NFL.
GRADE: D
Quarterback Connor Cook (Round 4, No. 100 overall)
At one point in the draft, there was a belief that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook could have been selected in the first round. Instead, he fell to the third day of the draft and was selected at pick No. 100 by the Raiders.
Cook lasted just two seasons in Oakland, starting just one game for the Raiders. His only appearance came in the playoffs against the Houston Texans, where he threw three interceptions as he struggled mightily. Cook was eventually released in 2018 and has bounced around the league some.
In the fourth round, this isn’t a completely busted pick, but it doesn’t receive a passing grade either.
GRADE: D
Running Back DeAndre Washington (Round 5, No. 143 overall)
In terms of value, running back DeAndre Washington may prove to be the best pick for the Raiders in 2016, Washington was selected in the fifth round and has played in 39 games for the team. He’s totaled 1,056 yards from scrimmage and has proven to be a reliable runner and receiver.
While Washington will likely never be an every-down back in the NFL, he has proven to be more than a suitable role player. Expect him to continue to be a part of the Raiders’ rotation of backs in 2019.
GRADE: B
Linebacker Cory James (Round 6, No. 194 overall)
In the sixth round, the Oakland Raiders selected linebacker/special teamer Cory James from Colorado State. In two seasons, James started 14 games for the Raiders, tallying 95 total tackles and nine tackles for a loss.
Despite his success in his first two seasons in Oakland, James was released in May of 2018 and never caught on with another team. However, given his play in the first two seasons and his draft status, this wasn’t a “miss” by Oakland.
GRADE: C-
Guard/Tackle Vadal Alexander (Round 7, No. 234 overall)
With their final selection in the 2016 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders selected offensive lineman Vadal Alexander from LSU.
When Alexander has been on the field, he has been solid, starting nine games at multiple different positions for the Raiders. However, he was suspended for performance-enhancing drugs and did not report to the team in 2018, essentially ending his career.
The Raiders did a good job of identifying talent here in the seventh round, but it’s unfortunate that Alexander wasn’t able to continue to help out the team.
GRADE: C
