Raiders given passing grade for selection of SS Karl Joseph in 2016 NFL Draft

Everyone knows that the last decade of drafting hasn’t been very kind for the Las Vegas Raiders. Yes, they hit on Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper in back-to-back drafts, but outside of those picks, the first-round has been very subpar.

However, one selection that gets a little too much criticism is the pick of strong safety Karl Joseph in the 2016 NFL Draft. While he didn’t receive a second contract from the team, he’s proven to be a capable starter when healthy.

In a recent article by Barry Werner of the Touchdown Wire, he graded every selection of the 2016 draft. For the Raiders, he gave them a passing grade of a “C” for the Joseph pick. Here is what he had to say about their selection at No. 14:

To the Raiders’ credit, there were only two or three other players in the first round who were selected after pick No. 14 that were better than Joseph. Considering the fact that Joseph is still a starter in the NFL and appears to be developing each year has to factor in that grade, as well.

Joseph isn’t the best pick of the decade for the Raiders, but he is far from the worst. He is a league-average safety that should hang around the NFL for a long time. For that reason, it’s tough to be too hard on this pick.

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