The Oakland Raiders ended the fall of one of the more controversial players in the 2017 NFL Draft, selecting Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley with the No. 24 pick.
With the 24th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft we have selected DB Gareon Conleyhttps://t.co/4Ja5gGL4RO pic.twitter.com/jyAqe8Cola
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 28, 2017
From a pure on field perspective, this pick is a no-brainer. Oakland had a gaping hole in its secondary throughout the 2016 season. On talent alone, Conley should have gone in the first half of the first round. So, from that perspective, the Raiders got a steal.
Of course, Conley is also dealing with a rape allegation and the charges that could potentially come with it. However, Conley passed a polygraph test given to him by an NFL team, which you can read about here. It was later reported by Adam Schefter (H/T Ebony Bird) that the Baltimore Ravens were the team to administer the test. It’s worth noting that Baltimore selected another corner — Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey — ahead of Oakland’s selection of Conley.
If Conley is cleared, though, this pick will be looked back on as one of 2017’s better selections.