INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 28: Damon Arnette #DB01 of the Ohio State Buckeyees speaks to the media on day four of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders used their second first-round pick they got in the Khalil Mack trade to take Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette. It was a massive reach they didn’t need to make.
The Las Vegas Raiders made an interesting pick at number 12 taking Henry Ruggs as the first wide receiver off the board. Then, they made a completely mind-boggling pick by taking an Ohio State cornerback with their next pick. But they didn’t get Jeffrey Okudah, the top player at his position and the Buckeyes’ number-one guy. They got the other Buckeyes cornerback.
The Raiders took Damon Arnette with the number 19 pick in the NFL Draft. We thought he was closer to the 50th pick in the NFL Draft, and we weren’t thrilled with him at that pick. He played most of last season with a wrist injury, which obviously hurt his production overall.
He got healthy as the season went on, and he actually played really well when the schedule got tough. However, he was playing against the second receiver on every team. He just didn’t have the skill set his fellow corner had.
It’s a weird year for cornerbacks, with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking C.J. Henderson in the top ten, but at least he was someone we thought would go in the 1st round. Almost nobody had Arnette going in the 1st round, and the Raiders took a college player with a limited upside to be their cornerback of the future.
This was also the pick the Raiders got in the Khalil Mack trade with the Chicago Bears. So, with one pick left for Friday, the Raiders hope that Arnette mixed with Josh Jacobs and whoever they pick in the 3rd round can add up to Khalil Mack.
NFL.com’s draft profile says Arnette is best suited as a zone corner. That’s not a good evaluation for a top-20 pick. The profile literally says “his success depends on what a team asks of him.” Right now, with Trayvon Mullen and Nevin Lawson currently slotted as the starters, Arnette is going to be expected to do a lot right off the bat. That’s bad news for Raiders fans.