Is Las Vegas Raiders draft pick among biggest reaches in NFL Draft?
Is Las Vegas Raiders draft pick among biggest reaches in NFL Draft?
One of the more surprising picks for general manager Tom Telesco and the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft was no doubt Maryland offensive tackle, Delmar Glaze.
That’s because many expected Glaze to go later in the draft than in the third round, where Las Vegas took him with the No. 77 overall pick.
One draft analyst who sees it that way is Justin Melo of The Draft Network, who listed Glaze as one of the biggest reaches in the entire draft.
Delmar Glaze entered the 2023 college football season as a borderline draftable talent. He strung together a better-than-expected campaign and then handled himself appropriately at the Senior Bowl. The expectation was still that Glaze would be a day-three flier. The Raiders instead drafted the Maryland blocker at No. 77 overall.
Glaze was drafted ahead of better offensive tackle prospects such as Matt Goncalves and Javon Foster. Glaze is a raw prospect who has struggled with play strength in the run game. The Raiders could have found better value. Glaze projects as a swing backup.
Sharing Melo’s opinion is Pro Football Focus, with the outlet placing Glaze among the biggest Day 2 reaches in the draft.
This was the biggest reach of the draft so far based on big boards. Glaze was the 77th pick in the draft, but he ranked 257th on PFF’s big board, a projected late seventh-rounder or an undrafted free agent. Glaze’s production at Maryland was very consistent, as he graded out in the low 70s in each of the past three seasons, but his athleticism leaves a lot to be desired and his future may be at guard rather than tackle.
Adding to the idea that the Raiders drafting Glaze where they did was considered a reach, a consensus board of prospect rankings had him at No. 150, 73 spots lower than were he was drafted.
Bear in mind, though, that considering Glaze a reach is subjective. At the end of the day, the only way we’ll truly know is in the years to come.