Raiders make surprise move at No. 19 in PFF Media Mock Draft

Quarterback was never part of the plan.

When asked to represent the Raiders in the Pro Football Focus Media Mock Draft, my belief was that the selections would play out in a similar way to most mock drafts that have been posted online.

You know the ones journalists and bloggers spend hours on each week for three months analyzing every bit of film they can find and then somehow come to similar conclusions, only to make drastic changes when it leaks out that one of the quarterbacks did not fare well on a test few normal people have ever taken.

Yes, those mock drafts.

This one was a bit different. PFF designated someone who covers each team to represent that organization. I was chosen to pick for the Raiders. I figured this would be easy enough.

Grab one of the top wide receivers at No. 12 before snagging the best defensive player available, preferably a cornerback, at No. 19 and call it a day. Fill two holes on the roster with two elite athletes. That’s exactly how a team with borderline playoff aspirations and two first-round picks would want to approach draft night.

But every team has a plan going into the draft and often those plans go awry. Mine started to go out of whack at No. 4 when Tiki Barber selected offensive tackle Mekhi Becton for the Giants. Should have guessed that actually. The former running back grabs the best run-blocking offensive tackle in the draft. Of course.

That left Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network to select Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins, leaving Justin Herbert for the Chargers. Radio hosts Petros & Money instead took the best available player, linebacker Isaiah Simmons, and triggered the free fall for Herbert.

The next five picks were all tackles, two defensive and three offensive. That was good news for the Raiders as both the Jaguars and Jets, teams in the mix to take receivers, passed on the position.

There was no hesitation in turning in the pick for the Raiders, Jerry Jeudy of Alabama. He’s a brilliant route-runner who will have Jon Gruden eager to find ways to utilize him in the passing game.

Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb was certainly a possibility, but Henry Ruggs III was not. Jeudy’s teammate has all the physical gifts, but it didn’t always translate to big production.

The only consideration apart from Jeudy was grabbing cornerback C.J. Henderson, who’s not likely to be available at No. 19. But in the end, Jeudy was too special to pass up.

Then it was time to focus on the Raiders’ next pick and figure out which of these next few teams were going to take a chance on Herbert. The answer was none of them.

Defensive players that we would have jumped at, Henderson and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, both came off the board. So did LSU linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, along with Ruggs and Lamb.

So now we’re on the clock again with Herbert sitting there for the picking. Again, quarterback was not part of the plan. The Raiders may still have questions about Derek Carr, but they also brought in former Titans starter and first-round pick Marcus Mariota.

The correct decision here would be to trade down. That would be my move here, but trading wasn’t an option.

So the choice came down to Herbert or LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton, the easier pick. He is a young corner who could be in the mix to start from Day One at a position of need.

Then there’s Herbert. He doesn’t fill an immediate need and probably wouldn’t play a meaningful snap all season. But he has all the tools scouts and player development folks look for and would have the opportunity to apprentice under Gruden with no pressure on him.

It’s not an ideal choice or a team in win-now mode, but the temptation was too much. Herbert was the pick.

Twitter wasn’t happy. At all. No surprise. But decision-makers can’t worry about pleasing the masses. These choices can only be judged after five years, not five seconds.

The good news for Raiders fans is the team isn’t likely to be faced with this decision. Oddsmakers have placed Herbert’s draft position at No. 6, making him a significant underdog to still be around when Mayock and Gruden are on the clock for the second time.

The first round of the actual draft is on Thursday. Then everyone can stop getting mad at the mock drafts and start getting mad at their actual favorite teams.

‘Tis the season.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.