Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years

By HC Green Lindys Sports

Updated June 19, 2026 6:13 AM

Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.

Now that we've established the parameters, here are the Las Vegas Raiders' five worst draft picks of the past decade:

Dishonorable Mentions

S Karl Joseph (14th Overall, 2016)
DE Shilique Calhoun (75th Overall, 2016)
CB Gareon Conley (24th Overall, 2017)
S Obi Melifonwu (56th Overall, 2017)
DT Eddie Vanderdoes (88th Overall, 2017)
DT P.J. Hall (57th Overall, 2018)
S Jonathan Abram (27th Overall, 2019)
CB Trayvon Mullen (40th Overall, 2019)
WR Lynn Bowden Jr. (80th Overall, 2020)
WR Bryan Edwards (81st Overall, 2020)
TE Michael Mayer (35th Overall, 2023)
DL Byron Young (70th Overall, 2023)

5) DE Clelin Ferrell, 4th Overall (2019)

It's crazy that the depth of terrible draft picks by the Raiders is such that guys like Conley, Joseph, and Abram are relegated to the dishonorable mentions area. Ferrell was part of a legendarily bad draft class with haters viewing him as a reach when he was taken ahead of Josh Hines-Allen, Brian Burns, and others. Turns out the haters were right. Great call from the haters.

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4) OL Alex Leatherwood, 17th Overall (2021)

Another year, another reach. The team tried him at tackle, but after he struggled there, they moved him to guard. When that didn't work, Las Vegas shifted him to the waiver wire in August 2022 after just one season in the Silver and Black. He'd bounce around a few practice squads, but his career was effectively over.

3) LB Tyree Wilson, 7th Overall (2023)

Unlike Ferrell and Leatherwood, Wilson carried a high first-round grade. Like those others, though, he flamed out quickly for the Raiders. Wilson managed a dozen sacks over three largely unimpactful seasons before being traded with pick No. 219 to New Orleans for the 150th pick in this year's draft.. Another sad return on investment from a top-10 pick for Las Vegas.

2) CB Damon Arnette, 19th Overall (2020)

It's hard to have a worse first round than the Raiders did in 2020. Armed with two selections in the top 20, the Raiders landed two massive busts. On the field, Arnette was the worst of the two, lasting only a handful of games as a starter before falling down the depth chart. He was cut after posting a video where he flashed firearms and issued threats.

1) WR Henry Ruggs III, 12th Overall (2020)

Drafted seven slots ahead of Arnette, Ruggs' Las Vegas tenure would end six days earlier as the Raiders released him following a drunk driving crash that killed another driver. He was sentenced to a three- to 10-year prison sentence under the terms of a plea agreement. Ruggs was denied parole earlier this month and remains incarcerated.

This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 6:00 AM.