Raiders draft cornerback Gareon Conley despite controversy

Clearly, he passed.

The former Ohio State cornerback was accused of raping a woman this month in Cleveland, being publicly linked to the situation Tuesday. He and his legal team then protested the allegations profusely, as NFL teams dug into the matter to decide what effect it had on Conley’s position on their draft board. The Raiders expressed their conclusions Thursday with the No. 24 overall pick.

The first-round selection came exactly one month after NFL owners approved the Raiders’ relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Conley, 21, was expected to be picked closer to the middle of the first round before the controversy arose.

When it did, the Raiders got to work. General manager Reggie McKenzie declined to go into specifics, but the result was the team feeling confident enough to invest a first-round pick and a $5.8 million signing bonus into a player involved in an active investigation. Conley said he took a polygraph test before the draft. The Raiders did not request it, he added.

As is customary, McKenzie said he and owner Mark Davis discussed the pick before making it. Davis approved.

“The bottom line is we’ve done miles and miles of research to make sure we were totally comfortable with our decision, which we were,” McKenzie said.

From a football standpoint, the decision was far easier.

Conley, a team captain in 2016, started all 27 games the past two years with the Buckeyes. Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said Conley excels in man and one coverage. At the combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at 6-foot, 190 pounds.

McKenzie called him “hands down the best player left on our board.”

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the type of corner you’re looking for,” McKenzie said. “It’s hard to get separation from him. He can play the deep ball. He can play press. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s fast. And he understands the game, the way he plays. Watching his tape, being around him, interviewing him, we had no questions about his skill set and his ability to play the game.”

Said Del Rio: “He’s been well respected with the people that I’ve spoken to personally about him. He’s a guy that loves to compete, good teammate and a really quality kid. … It’s one of those really clean players that we were fortunate to get our hands on here late in the first round.”

Conley, who did not attend the draft in Philadelphia, was relieved.

He spoke to Bay Area reporters in a conference call after the selection. He admitted he had doubts as to whether he would be taken in the first round but relied upon his faith and mother during the process, keeping the hope. To be selected despite the allegation made the draft moment “10 times more special,” he said.

“It’s off the charts, honestly,” Conley said of his appreciation. “Just to know they have faith in me, not even just as a football player but as a person, it speaks highly of them. … It’s an honor to be a part of the Raider organization.”

A defensive player was expected in the first round.

Before Thursday, the Raiders largely had devoted their offseason to offense, eyeing the draft as where they would upgrade the other side of the ball.

Conley probably is just the beginning of a defense-heavy draft for Oakland, though McKenzie said the team will continue to lean upon its board and draft talent, regardless of position.

The second and third rounds are Friday. Oakland has the 24th selection in the second.

Inside linebacker and interior defensive line are considered the top remaining needs.

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Michael Gehlken can be reached at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.