Trent Dilfer happy the Raiders picked ‘Gruden Grinders’ in the first round of the NFL draft
Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer loves what Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock did in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
The Raiders selected defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick, followed by Alabama running back Josh Jacobs (24th) and Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram (27th).
“I love that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock got Gruden Grinders with high ceilings,” said the ex-Fresno State star on the Colin Cowherd show on Friday. “They’re changing the culture; not just the team.”
Dilfer, who was set to announce the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ second-round pick Friday, played 15 seasons in the NFL (he was the Buccaneers’ first-round pick No. 6 overall, in 1994) and knows what it’s like to build a winning program.
He helped led the Baltimore Ravens to a 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. These days, he’s getting set for his first season as a high school coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.
“And to change a culture, I’m seeing this in the high school level and college level and part of the pro level, it takes foundational human beings.” Dilfer said. “It takes guys that those core values are just going to spread like wildfire to the rest of your team.”
The Raiders, he said, “got three of them in the first round. Oh, by the way, they have really high ceilings as productive players, as well.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 1:43 PM.
