Raiders becoming Clemson of the West
The Raiders traded up Saturday morning for the third pick in the fourth round and took a player from Clemson.
Of course they did.
Let us count the ways, er, players:
— Guard John Simpson was the second Tiger in a row taken in this draft by the Raiders and the fifth in the past two NFL drafts.
— They selected linebacker Tanner Muse toward the end of the third round Friday.
— Last year they added defensive end Clelin Ferrell in the first round, cornerback Trayvon Mullen in the second and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in the fifth.
— And the Raiders also are fascinated with players who played in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship between Clemson and Alabama. They have drafted seven players from the game, adding Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs in this year’s first round and running back Josh Jacobs from last year’s first round.
Guard Lester Cotton Sr., a guard who played for the Crimson Tide, signed with the Raiders on May 2 last year as an undrafted free agent.
No word if Dabo Sweeney or Nick Saban will be joining the coaching staff anytime soon. But coach Jon Gruden does like “football guys.”
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
