It’s no secret that former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s return to football was met with questionable decisions and choices. Gruden has been out of the league since 2021, when he resigned from his post due to an email scandal that painted him in a negative light.

From 2018-2021, the Raiders selected 32 athletes and only six remain: Kolton Miller (2018), Maxx Crosby (2019), Tre’von Moehrig (2021), Malcolm Koonce (2021), Divine Deablo (2021), and Nate Hobbs (2021).

While Miller, Moehrig, Koonce, Deablo, and Hobbs certainly have helped the Raiders, they are no true standout like 2019 fourth-round draft pick “Mad Maxx” Crosby.

Crosby since coming into the league has been a force to be reckoned with and a player who continues to improve each year he plays. The passionate defensive end had his best season in his short NFL career in 2023 and registered 90 combined tackles, 14.5 sacks, and two pass deflections. His 14.5 sacks were a career-high and he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in week five against the Green Bay Packers.

The talent evaluation from Gruden and Mike Mayock turned out to be extremely poor; here is a list of players they drafted and just how many of them are no longer playing in the National Football League.

2018 Raiders Draft Picks – Where are they now? 

• Kolton Miller (Still with the team)
• P.J. Hall (UFL)
• Brandon Parker (San Francisco 49ers)
• Arden Key (Tennessee Titans)
• Nick Nelson (No team currently)
• Maurice Hurst Jr. (Cleveland Browns)
• Johnny Townsend (No team currently)
• Azeem Victor (No team currently)
• Marcell Ateman (UFL)

Important Note:

Mayock arrived in 2019 but Gruden had a strong say in the 2018 Raiders draft selections.

2019 Raiders Draft Picks: 

• Clelin Ferrell (Washington Commanders)
• Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers)
• Jonathan Abram (New Orleans Saints)
• Trayvon Mullen (Baltimore Ravens)
• Maxx Crosby (Still with team) 
• Isaiah Johnson (UFL)
• Foster Moreau (New Orleans Saints)
• Hunter Renfrow (No team currently)
• Quinton Bell (Miami Dolphins)

2020 Raiders Draft Picks: 

• Henry Ruggs (Out of the league indefinitely)
• Damon Arnette (No team currently)
• Lynn Bowden (No team currently)
• Bryan Edwards (No team currently)
• Tanner Muse (No team currently)
• John Simpson (New York Jets)
• Amik Robertson (Detroit Lions)

2021 Raiders Draft Picks: 

• Alex Leatherwood (Los Angeles Chargers)
• Trevon Moehrig (Still with team) 
• Malcolm Koonce (Still with team)
• Divine Deablo (Still with team)
• Tyree Gillespie (No team currently)
• Nate Hobbs (Still with team) 
• Jimmy Morrissey (No team currently)

Not only did these two ‘gurus’ bat an average draft win of 18% (6/32), given the six players still left on the roster from 2018-2021, but both men are no longer in the league. One can say that is a positive thing for any NFL franchise from a pure drafting perspective.

As for Crosby, he has turned out to be more than advertised. The 26-year-old still has a lot of football left in him and since joining the Raiders in 2019, he has accumulated 321 total tackles, 52 sacks, nine forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 18 pass deflections.

Another Standout Athlete Other Than Crosby? 

While Crosby is the only player who is a true standout from the Mayock and Gruden regime, there is one bright spot player who the duo selected in 2021 that may make a solid career out of his play — defensive end Malcolm Koonce.

Koonce had a breakout season last year and will look to anchor the defensive line alongside Crosby. He finished with 43 combined tackles, 8.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, 17 quarterback hits, and nine tackles for a loss.

Crosby and Koonce are anchors on a defense that will look to improve and continue to apply pressure in a tough AFC West, a division with Patrick Mahomes and the back-to-back Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.