Dexter McDonald to the Oakland Raiders: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Oakland Raiders finally addressed a thin secondary with their last pick of the 2015 NFL draft. Dexter McDonald out of Kansas was the No. 242 overall pick. 

In an interesting turn of events, undersized Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was there for the taking in the seventh round as well. At one point, he was considered a first-round talent but his projection continued to plummet over the past 72 hours.

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In terms of value, Ekpre-Olomu was a better pick. However, in terms of scheme fit, McDonald is the type of CB the Raiders need. He’s a physical swat defender, meaning his long arms allow him to knock down passes out of reach. He also plays well in bump and run coverage. Oakland needed a physical press coverage defender as opposed to a finesse off-coverage DB.

At Kansas, McDonald didn’t rack up a lot of interceptions. He only caught four in 24 games but had 23 passes defensed. At 6’1”, 200 pounds he has the size and the swagger to be an imposing NFL cornerback.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller feels Oakland could have made a selection with better value but ultimately vouches for McDonald’s potential as a starter. The Kansas CB is unpolished and susceptible to double moves because he lacks fluidity in change of direction situations. However, he’s capable of covering in short and deep routes. Most importantly, he’s not going to be pushed around by some of the more physical receivers.

He ran a 4.42 with a 40.5” vertical leap at his pro day workouts. Speed and the ability to battle for those 50/50 balls are important with the infatuation for bigger receivers 6’2” and taller.

McDonald should secure a roster spot with the Raiders and could see the field in the near future if D.J. Hayden continues to miss time with injury. Travis Carrie isn’t cemented in his starting position. He only started four games last season and remains questionable as quality starter. 

Theoretically, Keith McGill is the next CB in line for extended playing time if Hayden or Carrie falter. A pair of taller CBs could be a solution to elevating the pass defense. McGill at 6’3” and McDonald at 6’1” could set the tone for the Raiders’ secondary for years to come. 

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In 2015, Hayden gets a fair shot to live up to the billing as a first-round pick. He has yet to deliver on a consistent basis due to a litany of injuries. The remaining three CBs will all have an equal opportunity to prove their worth.

The Raiders accumulated three seventh-round draft picks on Day 3 and could have used two to draft both Ekpre-Olomu and McDonald. The Oregon CB would have been a great value for a seventh-round pick but McKenzie opted to select Debose, who may not make the final roster.

It’ll be interesting to see how these players develop and who gets cut. Keep in mind the Raiders’ scout team has found some serviceable starters in the late rounds of the draft: Latavius Murray (sixth round), Mychal Rivera (sixth round) and Travis Carrie (seventh-round).