Raiders hold 11th overall draft pick going into Week 17
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Despite the Raiders being out of playoff contention, Jack Del Rio is never done evaluating his players.
“You’re always learning,” Del Rio said Friday. “You’re always evaluating, you’re always learning. I think when you’re dealing with tough times, I think you probably do get to have the exposure of how guys respond.
”I think really for the most part, our guys have been really, really solid with that.”
More player evaluations will come in April for the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Raiders have the 11th overall pick in the draft going into Week 17. Their draft pick position can change drastically depending on the results of Sunday’s games:
— A loss to the Los Angeles Chargers will drop the Raiders to 6-10 on the season and ensure them a pick between No. 7 and No. 11.
— If they defeat the Chargers on Sunday, the Raiders’ pick will likely be between No. 11-14. The Raiders potentially could share a 7-9 record with five other teams.
Del Rio is focused on the events at Home Depot Center on Sunday rathern than late April.
“You’re looking for guys who love ball,” Del Rio said. “We feel like we have that.”
Home crowd expected
The Raiders will play their first game in the Los Angeles area since the team moved back to Oakland in 1995.
Despite leaving more than 20 years ago, the Raiders have had exceptional fan turnout whenever they played a game in Southern California.
“It’s going to be like a home game,” cornerback David Amerson said. “I know when we played in San Diego, it was a big Raider crowd. It was kind of like a home-field advantage. I can imagine that L.A. would be more of the same thing.”
Notables
— Offensive lineman Vadal Alexander (concussion), tackle David Sharpe (illness), and defensive tackle Treyvon Hester (ankle) did not participate in Friday’s practice.
— Cornerback David Amerson (foot) and cornerback Dexter McDonald (knee) were limited in practice. Both are questionable for Sunday’s game.
Contact reporter Chris Booker at cbooker@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bookerc94 on Twitter.
