To say the Oakland Raiders have hit on first-round picks in the last decade is quite the understatement. While players like Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack have developed into bona fide studs, Oakland has opted to not keep them around for a second contract.
In fact, not many first-round picks for the Raiders see second contracts with Oakland. Since 2008, only Darren McFadden has signed a second contract with the Raiders after being drafted in the first round.
After his rookie deal expired, McFadden signed a one-year deal with Oakland worth $1.75 million. While he was productive early on his career, that pick (and extension) wasn’t all that useful for the Raiders.
Before McFadden, the previous first-round pick to receive an extension was defensive back Michael Huff, who was drafted in 2006 and played seven years in Oakland.
With the Raiders declining Karl Joseph’s fifth-year option, it appears that another first-round pick won’t be continuing his career in Oakland. If the Raiders want to continue to be a successful franchise, they have to do a better job of finding talent in the first round and retaining their top players.
With three first round picks in 2019, hopefully, that trend starts to change sooner rather than later.
