Alex Leatherwood cut adds to brutal list of NFL Draft picks by Raiders from the Mike Mayock era

Next time someone starts talking about draft expert analysis, remind them of the tale of Mike Mayock.

Raiders offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood being cut Tuesday is another step toward closing the book on three years of Raiders first-round picks under Mayock from 2019 to 2021. Leatherwood, who was drafted 17th overall by the Raiders in the 2021 draft, was abominable in his one year and was cut when the Raiders couldn’t find a trade suitor. They’re now on the hook for nearly $7 million just for Leatherwood not to play, despite the need for help on the offensive line.

Dave Ziegler took over as GM for the Raiders this year, although his draft capital was severely neutered by the trade for Davante Adams earlier in the offseason.

For Vegas, it’s now about living in the future rather than the past. Leatherwood joins Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette, as former first-round picks who are no longer on the team (Ruggs, of course, due to exigent circumstances that extend far beyond the Mayock-era Raiders scouting department), meaning it’s time for Las Vegas to move on and hope they’re building something stable.

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2019 first rounders Clelin Ferrell and Josh Jacobs, meanwhile, are still Raiders but had their fifth-round options declined.

Mike Mayock Raiders draft picks

Mayock helmed three drafts for the Raiders: 2019, 2020, and 2021.

For the first two, he had multiple first round picks. In 2019, Mayock took defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell fourth overall, running back Josh Jacobs 24th, and safety Johnathan Abram 27th. In 2020, he took wide receiver Henry Ruggs 12th and cornerback Damon Arnette 19th. In 2021, Leatherwood was taken 17th.

2019

Ferrell, Jacobs, and Abram all had their fifth-year options declined, whereas Renfrow and Crosby are the heavy hitters from this class. The first rounders were disappointing, but there were at least a few diamonds in the rough there. Mullen was traded to the Cardinals Tuesday, undoubtedly another effort to erase the Mayock-Jon Gruden era.

2020

John Simpson is a faintly shining light in a cavalcade of terrible Mayock picks in 2020. Even without hovering on the Ruggs incident, who was the cause of a fatal car accident that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, there is plenty of other terribleness to see here from a player evaluation perspective.

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Arnette was released in Nov. 2021 after a video showed him waving a firearm making death threats, and has since played for the Dolphins and Chiefs. He was released from the latter in January after facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Bowden and Edwards haven’t had legal troubles, they were both traded for peanuts. Muse never played a snap. Simpson has evolved into a decent starting guard and Robertson is serving as a backup on a corner-thin roster.

2021

The jury is, rightfully, still out on some of these guys, but it doesn’t look great. Leatherwood being cut Tuesday is an ominous start, and two other players are already gone. but Moehrig turned in an underappreciated rookie campaign. Still, the hope with seven draft picks is that more than one will hit.

All things told, the Mayock Era in Vegas will likely prove to be highly forgettable. Despite finding late-round gems in Crosby and Renfrow, the pedigree simply isn’t there otherwise.

Ziegler seems intent on building the team around Carr his way, and cutting Leatherwood and trading Mullen is a way to solidify that. The stakes in Las Vegas are high this year, and the room for error is slim after the Adams trade. We’ll see how it pays off, because it certainly didn’t for Mayock and Gruden.