Getty Images
It’s an infrequent occasion when a head coach in the NFL admits that he didn’t want a certain pick. During the 2018 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected UCLA offensive tackle, Kolton Miller. He would become the first pick under the second Jon Gruden era with the Raiders. Little did he know, the head coach didn’t even want him.
Some things are just better left unsaid. After being criticized countless amounts of time for trading away the best player on the Raiders, Gruden continues to put his foot in his mouth. Every single week he learned that Kahlil Mack had a better game than the previous one. Then, Gruden blames some of their problems on defense for having a lack of pass rush, go figure.
Now, Gruden came out and publicly says that he wanted to take Florida State Safety, Derwin James in the first round of the draft, and not Kolton Miller. ESPN’s Eric Williams tweeted out Gruden’s quote on Wednesday night, and a lot of the NFL media is in complete shock as it is scarce that a head coach practically says he wanted to take somebody else.
Are You Serious?
Jon Gruden said he wanted to take Derwin James in the first round, but unfortunately they took a safety in the first round in 2016 (Karl Joseph) and one in the second round (Obi Melifonwu) in 2017. The Raiders selected LT Kolton Miller two picks before James in this year’s draft.
It’s not hard to understand why Gruden would want Derwin James. After all, he is making quite the name for himself out with the Los Angeles Chargers. Through four games, James has registered 26 tackles, three sacks, and an interception. So, the Chargers got lucky that the Raiders avoided James, and he fell to L.A. pick No. 17.
Kolton Miller hasn’t exactly been bad for the Raiders, but there are still ways to go for the 23-year-old lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, Miller is ranked as the 52nd best tackle in the league. Not too bad, but not very good either considering that he was a first-round pick. Gruden’s frustrations with not getting his guy make sense, but still, he should probably keep that on the low while he is still in the building.