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Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff Writer
HENDERSON, Nev. — Yes, Tom Telesco has a certain philosophy when it comes to the NFL draft.
And while the new Las Vegas Raiders general manager is not about to do a deep dive for outsiders and explain what it is, exactly, it has borne fruit. Especially in the early rounds when he was the Chargers’ general manager from 2013 to 2023. Paging the likes of first-rounders such as running back Melvin Gordon III (2015), defensive end Joey Bosa (2016), safety Derwin James Jr. (2018), quarterback Justin Herbert (2020) and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater (2021).
In all, Telesco’s Chargers first-rounders have been to a combined 11 Pro Bowls with the team and have two first-team All-Pro nods, along with a defensive (Bosa) and offensive (Herbert) rookie of the year.
Combine that with the Raiders’ oft-spectacular first-round failures over the past near-two decades — quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2007), anyone? What about linebacker Rolando McClain (2010), cornerbacks D.J. Hayden (2013), Gareon Conley (2017) and Damon Arnette (2020), defensive end Clelin Ferrell (2019), safety Johnathan Abram (2019) and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood (2021)? — and it is clear Las Vegas owner Mark Davis’ belief in Telesco’s proclivity for hitting early and often on the first day of the draft was a prime reason he hired Telesco in January.
“I had to get the right guy, at the right time, to fit the Raiders,” Davis told ESPN at the time.
So is this week more about Telesco’s hits with the Chargers, or the Raiders’ misses (only six Pro Bowls from first-rounders since Russell was selected with the No. 1 pick in 2007), what with Las Vegas currently holding eight selections, starting with the No. 13 pick on Thursday?
Both, actually.
Consider: the Raiders have had 13 first-round picks since 2013 and only two of them remain on their roster, left tackle Kolton Miller (2018) and defensive end Tyree Wilson (2023). In fact, only three of the their 17 first-round picks since 2007 received second contracts from the team — running back Darren McFadden (2008), Miller and running back Josh Jacobs (2019), with only Miller getting a multi-year deal after his rookie contract.
No wonder the Raiders have had only two winning seasons with a pair of playoff appearances since 2003.
“The thing we have to remember is we’re drafting these players for a minimum of four to five years,” Telesco said. “We’re drafting them for the future and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of them. It’s not so much where they fit in initially, as a rookie, the first year. History shows probably less than a third of rookies, maybe even like 30% of rookies, actually play a high number, a significant amount of snaps their rookie years or fulfill a need. So that’s reality.
“So, whatever needs we may have today or whatever perceived needs those are, these players are drafted … [and] you talk about, ‘OK, what role would they have right away? What role would they have in the future?’ And go off that.”
Nature vs. nurture is up there with drafting for need vs. drafting the best player available when it comes to late April in the NFL.
And when it comes to the Raiders, there is no secret they have been linked to LSU Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, given his long personal relationship with coach Antonio Pierce, who initially recruited him to Arizona State.
But moving from No. 13 to a top-two selection, where Daniels is expected to go, would be a hefty haul. Daniels knows it, as he said this week on the “Nightcap Show” with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson.
“I don’t know how they’re going to pull it off,” Daniels said with a laugh. “But, I mean, that’s above my pay grade, man.”
And yet … the thought of reuniting with Pierce brought a smile to Daniels’ face.
“A.P., man, just as a human being, he’s the right coach for that team. You know, just him and the intensity that he brings,” Daniels said. “He challenges people. He was challenging me at 18 [years old]. So, I know if I was to go to the Raiders — I’m not saying I’m going to go there or I want to go there; I want to go wherever my name is called — if I was to go to the Raiders, I know as soon as I step foot [there], he’s going to challenge me.
“He don’t care how high I was drafted, none of that. He’s going to challenge me. Every day.”
Still, in 11 drafts with the Chargers, Telesco traded up only twice in the first round — in 2015, when he moved the No. 17 pick, the No. 117 pick and a 2016 fifth-rounder to the 49ers to jump two spots to draft Gordon at No. 15 overall; and in 2020, when the Chargers got the No. 23 pick from the Patriots to draft linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. in exchange for the Nos. 37 and 71 picks.
Telesco did not mention Daniels by name but acknowledged having a plan in place to potentially move up. That breathes life into the notion of Daniels, who was in the Raiders’ locker room following their season-ending win over the Broncos on Jan. 7, taking up a lengthier residence at Allegiant Stadium.
“Yeah, newsflash: GM says he’s open to trading up, moving back, picking a spot … everybody always says the same thing,” Telesco, who has final say on all personnel moves in Las Vegas, said with a sly smile. “So, we have a plan right now to go up if we have to and be aggressive with it. We’ve got a plan if we stick and pick, obviously, and we’ve got a plan to go back if it’s within a certain range.”
Combine Telesco’s first-round success with the Raiders’ recent uncanniness for unearthing Day 2 and Day 3 finds such as edge rusher Maxx Crosby (fourth round, 2019), receiver Hunter Renfrow (fifth round, 2019), linebacker Divine Deablo (third round, 2021), cornerback Nate Hobbs (fifth round, 2021) and quarterback Aidan O’Connell (fourth round, 2023) and, as a Raiders source said, “Now we’re cooking with gas.”
The inference, being, of course, adding Telesco’s early draft wins to late Raiders hits make for a great formula … so to speak.
Even one of Telesco’s Day 2 hits did not come without trepidation. Because while receiver was already a Chargers strength in 2013, Telesco’s first draft as a GM, a certain pass-catcher caught his eye.
“We’re in the third round, and Keenan Allen’s card is just staring at us, just begging us to take him and we decide, ‘Alright, we’ll take him,'” Telesco recalled. “But more than likely, he’ll probably redshirt the year. We don’t really have a spot for him. He may even be inactive every week.
“And then we get into May OTAs and one receiver gets hurt. Getting in training camp, another receiver really didn’t perform the way we thought he would. And then in September, another receiver got hurt. Keenan jumps in the game in September and he’s [AP] rookie of the year that year.”
Eleven seasons, six Pro Bowls, 904 catches and 59 touchdowns for Allen later, Telesco reiterates a cautionary tale that actually provides a peek into his draft philosophy for Raiders fans.
“Like I said, your needs change quickly and unpredictably,” Telesco said. “So, it’s hard to go into a draft just thinking how we’re going to line up opening day. We have to take a little bit more of a long-range approach to it … and look four or five years down the road, rather than just how they fit today.”