When it comes to controversy between the Las Vegas Raiders and April’s NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders immediately comes to mind.
The quarterback out of Colorado was considered a surefire bet to end up in Las Vegas due to his name being linked with the Raiders a fair number of times. However, some gaffes during the interview process damaged his stock considerably, and Sanders ended up with one of the most high-profile falls in recent memory. Eventually, the Cleveland Browns were the team that swooped in to land Sanders in the fifth round, not the Raiders.
While the Raiders may have avoided one headache thanks to the Browns, they may have to thank them for another decision.
The Raiders could have found themselves in a fair amount of controversy this offseason.
Over the weekend, Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on charges of battery and domestic violence.
While the news comes as a shock to the football community, the Raiders could have easily seen this misfortune befall them.
Prior to the NFL Draft, rumors circulated that running back Ashton Jeanty was a potential top-five pick. While much of the reports indicated the team to watch was the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns ultimately traded down to the fifth overall pick and drafted Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. That opened the door for the Raiders to grab Jeanty with the next pick and secure their franchise running back.
However, what could have happened in the event Jeanty was selected in the top five makes the Raiders potentially drafting Judkins plausible.
Jeanty being selected earlier than sixth overall would lead to the Raiders addressing another position at that pick, leaving running back available in the second round. With Judkins’s connection to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly from their year together at Ohio State, it makes perfect sense that the Raiders could have seen him as a target if they missed out on Jeanty. Granted, Judkins may not have been on the Raiders’ board if any potential character issues came about, but nothing was reported on in that regard.
Fortunately for the Raiders, they will not be the ones feeling the consequences of this unfortunate incident.
Bold predictions sees Raiders change first-round pick’s position
