Even if the names weren’t the ones fans were expecting, the Las Vegas Raiders filled their need at wide receiver and cornerback. It was the latter selection that had Raider Nation initially bewildered.
This is not a knock on cornerback Damon Arnette at all. However, there’s absolutely no way casual fans had him on their mocks or draft boards. Yet, that’s why we’ve always said that at the end of the day, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden’s boards are the only ones that matter.
Regardless of how you feel about Arnette, Raider Nation on Twitter had plenty to say. From fans ready to jump off cliffs in utter disappointment to film analysts claiming Arnette was in fact, not a reach.
Damon Arnette at 19 is NOT a reach. He's really, really good. Love him in press. Just leave him on the boundary and watch him beat people up. Uses the sideline better than everyone else in this class not named Okudah or Terrell.
Physical, fluid, and smart.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 24, 2020
Related: The Only Nation Podcast Ep. 11: It’s Draft Time
Here at the Raider Ramble we asked Raider Nation what they thought after the “collective sigh” that could be heard across Twitter.
Damon Arnette? Did everyone hear the collective sigh?
— RaiderRamble.comâ„¢ (@TheRaiderRamble) April 24, 2020
The responses to our tweet were generally that of disgust, one in particular was simply a vomiting emoji. Others were much vocal in their displeasure, “how many more years left in the Gruden era?” asked one fan. Scott Bair of NBC Sports actually said that he had Arnette going to the Raiders but in the third round, yikes.
The Raiders have taken Ohio State CB Damon Arnette. I had him in my complete Raiders mock. In the third round.
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) April 24, 2020
At the end of the day, the Raiders went with need over best player available. Let’s not forget the draft Mayock had last year either, there’s still plenty of time to fill the rest of the roster’s deficiencies. Finally, Moe Moton, who’s usually the voice of reason on Raiders Twitter, said it best, even if you don’t like a pick you can still root for them.
Ramble On Raider Nation.
Sidenote: It’s possible to not love a draft pick and still root for the guy to succeed.
— Maurice Moton (@MoeMoton) April 24, 2020
You May Also Like: Raiders GM Mike Mayock emphasizes the importance of later rounds
[pickup_prop id=”21986″]
