HISTORY SHOWS RAIDERS ACED ’14 DRAFT

Few events on the sports calendar are more heavily analyzed or parsed than the NFL draft, whether during the lead-up to the first round or during the postmortem. But inevitable and ubiquitous grades that will be rampant after the draft’s completion always tend to skew as hyper-reactionary. Assessing a draft after three years is a much fairer gauge of how teams navigated it.

So what better time than the present to dig into a 2014 draft that looks a bit star-crossed in retrospect?

A+

Oakland Raiders: It’s probably accurate to say the franchise is again a contender because of the performance of GM Reggie McKenzie and his staff in 2014. It’s exceedingly rare to obtain two franchise players in one draft, but McKenzie pulled off that double by taking newly minted defensive player of the year Khalil Mack fifth overall before getting ascending Pro Bowl QB Derek Carr in Round 2. Third rounder Gabe Jackson has established himself at guard for what is probably the AFC’s top O-line. All three players are in line for huge second contracts and will be the faces of the franchise as it migrates to Las Vegas. Even seventh-rounder T.J. Carrie has been a valuable presence in the secondary and on special teams. A– New York Giants: At No. 12, they snared arguably the biggest impact player of the draft. Odell Beckham Jr.’s production through three seasons is historically good among receivers. Second-round C Weston Richburg is the team’s most consistent offensive lineman, and Devon Kennard (Round 5) has been a solid contributor at linebacker. B+ Atlanta Falcons: The NFC champs got a fourth-round steal in RB Devonta Freeman, who comes off consecutive seasons with 1,500-plus yards from scrimmage. LT Jake Matthews, the sixth overall pick, had struggles making the transition from Texas A&M’s offense but has been reliable overall while starting 47 of a possible

48 games. DL Ra’Shede Hageman and DB Ricardo Allen are part of an up-and-coming defense. But LB Prince Shembo proved unworthy of the risk the team assumed investing a fourth-rounder in him. Green Bay Packers: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Round 1), WR Davante Adams (2) and C Corey Linsley (5) should be good-to-great starters for the next several years. Fourth-rounder Richard Rodgers will always be remembered for snagging QB Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary at Detroit in 2015 but probably won’t ever be more than a backup tight end.

New England Patriots: An impressive assessment, considering how their draft started. They gambled and lost on DT Dominique Easley, their first-round selection despite a history of knee injuries at Florida. But the Easley bust is more than offset by unsigned free agent Malcolm Butler, the hero of Super Bowl XLIX before developing into a Pro Bowlcaliber corner. A solid fourth round produced C Bryan Stork, a rookie starter in Super Bowl XLIX before concussions sidetracked his career, Super Bowl LI hero James White and offensive line super sub Cameron Fleming. The big unknown is Jimmy Garoppolo, whose value remains undetermined. Even if he doesn’t stick around to be QB Tom Brady’s successor, Garoppolo should fetch a nice return on his second-round investment in next year’s trade market. Pittsburgh Steelers: A very good draft has the potential to grade out better. First-round LB Ryan Shazier and second-round DE Stephon Tuitt have matured into defensive cornerstones. But GM Kevin Colbert missed badly on third-rounder Dri Archer, whose flaws were masked by his 4.26-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Fourth-round WR Martavis Bryant remains the X factor. He has shown what an explosive player he can be, but substance-abuse issues cost him the 2016 season and cloud his long-term outlook. B

Baltimore Ravens: Two-time Pro Bowler C.J. Mosley (17th overall pick) has eased the loss of Ray Lewis. Fifth-rounder John Urschel could take over as the starting center in 2017 but is much more renowned for being a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D. candidate. Second-round DL Timmy Jernigan was recently offloaded to the Philadelphia Ea-

gles for a swap of third-round picks, and S Terrence Brooks was a wasted pick in Round 3. Undrafted LB Zach Orr blossomed in 2016, but a neck injury forced his retirement.

Carolina Panthers: WR Kelvin Benjamin (28th overall pick) has had two productive campaigns sandwiched around a season lost to a knee injury. Third-rounder Trai Turner has been selected to two Pro Bowls, and fellow G Andrew Norwell has settled in as a starter despite not being drafted. WR Corey Brown was another productive free agent find before leaving for the Buffalo Bills. Second-round DE Kony Ealy nearly won Super Bowl 50 MVP honors but wasn’t nearly as good otherwise, leading to his trade to New England.

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones and Co. wisely bypassed QB Johnny Manziel and opted for G Zack Martin, who has become a threetime all-pro on what is widely rated as the NFL’s best O-line. But after that? Second-round DE DeMarcus Lawrence has had one useful year but missed too much time overall. Fourth-round LB Anthony Hitchens has been serviceable. Five of Dallas’ nine picks in 2014 were in Round 7, and none remain on the roster. B–

Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins C+

Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs C

Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers C–

Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins D+

Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers D

Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks D–

Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles I (incomplete) New Orleans Saints