ALAMEDA Ben Banogu Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said he was told by an NFL scout that if he did nothing but draft players from Alabama and Clemson he’d get a passing grade in his first year on the job.Mayock apparently took the message to heart.The Raiders drafted Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen with the 40th overall pick Friday after twice trading back in the second round in deals with Jacksonville and Buffalo.Mullen was the third player from the national championship game taken by Mayock in the first two days of the draft. Oakland used two of its three first-round picks on Mullen’s Clemson teammate, defensive end Clelin Ferrell, and Alabama running back Josh Jacobs.“Being on the field before the game was just like, ‘Wow,'” Mayock said. “I said to somebody, ‘Man I’d take five of these guys and go home right now.’ And here we are. We got three of them, so it’s exciting. It really is.”Mullen visited the Raiders prior to the draft and likes the idea of being reunited with Ferrell and playing with Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram, Oakland’s third pick in Thursday’s first round.“This is awesome Parris Campbell Jersey , man, being able to get back with my boy,” Mullen. “We have to get to work. They’re going to get a great player, especially with me and Clelin and even John Abram, because that’s like my best friend. Us guys getting together, it’s going to be awesome.”Mullen was a second-team All-ACC pick during his junior year with the Tigers. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Mullen has not allowed a touchdown in coverage since 2017, according to Pro Football Focus, and he surrendered fewer than 300 yards passing in his college career.As luck had it Bobby Okereke Jersey , Mullen had one of his best games with Mayock watching. Mullen was the defensive MVP in the national championship game after tallying six tackles with a sack, interception and forced fumble.“I think it did a lot,” Mullen said. “Just the way out I went out there and showed the world the elite player that I am, how confident I am, how strong and physical I am. I believe that game played a big role. It motivated me a lot to even making my decision to come out early.”Mayock wasn’t there to only scout Mullen but came away impressed.“He had a great national championship game,” Mayock said. “He’s a long corner. We love his length. He fits (defensive coordinator) Paul Guenther’s defense to a T, a long press corner that runs. We’re really excited about this kid’s upside and we’re happy to pick up the extra picks.”Mullen joins an increasingly crowded secondary with the Raiders. Former first-round pick Gareon Conley is expected to start at one of the cornerback spots. Oakland also tendered Daryl Worley, who started nine games in 2018.The Raiders didn’t have a third-round pick but stockpiled additional selections in the latter rounds, something Mayock had hinted he wanted to do.Oakland began the day moving back three spots from 35th to 38th in a trade with the Jaguars. The Raiders also acquired Jacksonville’s fourth-round pick (109th overall) in exchange for a fifth (140) and seventh (235).Mayock continued to work the phones and made another deal moments later with the Bills. Oakland dropped back two more spots to 40th overall and picked up a fifth-rounder from Buffalo.The phone didn’t stop ringing Khari Willis Jersey , even as Mayock worked his way downstairs to talk to the media following the end of the third round.“The goal coming into today was not to lose Trayvon and try to pick up some picks,” Mayock said. “And that’s what happened.” The Kansas City Chiefs are trading Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams for what is expected to be a package of draft picks, according to published reports.
ESPN.com first reported the trade, which will not become official until the start of the new league year on March 14. It’s the second major trade involving the Chiefs that will occur that day following the deal that will send quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.
The Chiefs have been aggressively seeking to trade Peters, an All-Pro during the 2016 season, as part of both a youth movement and shift in locker room culture.
The 25-year-old Peters emerged as one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks, picking off at least five passes each of his first season in the league. But he also carries significant character concerns, beginning with getting thrown off his college team at Washington after a run-in with his coaches.
Peters has drawn the ire of some fans for refusing to stand for the national anthem, even though he has never explained why he is protesting. He’s been involved in shouting matches with assistant coaches on the sideline Josh Allen Jersey , bizarre and sometimes divisive locker room antics, and was even suspended for a game last season after tossing an officials’ penalty flag into the stands.
Peters thought he was ejected after that incident against the New York Jets and left the field, only to run back out – not wearing socks – when he realized he was not disqualified.
None of those character concerns was evidently enough to dissuade the Rams from making a deal, though. They were desperate for a shutdown cornerback for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, especially with Trumaine Johnson due to hit free agency after spending two seasons playing on the franchise tag.
The Rams’ slot cornerback, Nickell Robey-Coleman, also is expected to hit free agency, and No. 2 cornerback Kayvon Webster will be trying to return from a ruptured Achilles tendon sustained in December.
Peters will count $1.74 million toward the salary cap this season, the final year of his rookie deal Jawaan Taylor Jersey , and the Rams will have until May 3 to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option.
The Chiefs will obtain a potential replacement for Peters when the Smith deal becomes official. As part of their pending trade with the Redskins, the Chiefs will receive coveted cornerback Kendall Fuller, who many believe is on the verge of stardom, along with a third-round draft pick.
Prior to the trades, the Chiefs were only scheduled to have four picks in the upcoming draft, which would have significantly hampered new general manager Brett Veach’s chances of upgrading the roster.
They were granted a sixth-round compensatory pick Friday for allowing quarterback Nick Foles to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, and are expected to get additional choices from the Rams. But it’s unknown whether those will occur in April’s draft or in following years.
The Rams are already without a second-round after their trade for Sammy Watkins last year.