Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie "shocked the league" Thursday night at the NFL Draft by selecting Ohio State CB Gareon Conley, who has "made headlines in the past few days after having been accused of rape," according to Ann Killion of the S.F. CHRONICLE. McKenzie said the team did its "due diligence throughout this whole process.” He added that he "didn’t want to get into specifics but that he was confident the Raiders could trust Conley." Raiders Owner Mark Davis has "drawn a line over" sexual assault and domestic violence offenses, saying he "wouldn’t employ a player with a history" of such offenses. McKenzie said that he had "discussed all possible picks with Davis." Killion notes McKenzie "took a huge risk" in picking Conley, and if it "doesn’t work out, McKenzie not only will have wasted a high draft pick but also damaged his reputation as a smart executive with an eye for talent and character." It also will have "hurt the team’s new image of doing things the right way" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/28). McKenzie said the Raiders did "miles and miles of research" on Conley before selecting him. He said, "The research was done, and it wasn't just a gut (instinct). ... we are very confident in all the information that we gathered." ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez noted McKenzie "would not go into specifics when asked whether he believed the accusation would not turn into charges" (ESPN.com, 4/27). In Las Vegas, Ed Graney writes the Raiders "can’t swing and miss in a manner that would prove disastrous if Conley is found to have committed such a heinous act." Graney: "You can’t flirt with the idea of what would be essentially forfeiting a first-round pick because your research doesn’t prove reliable" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/28).
BELIEF SYSTEM: THE MMQB's Peter King writes McKenzie is "taking a gamble" by picking Conley, but "when he spoke after the draft, he sounded certain about Conley the person, and certain of his innocence." McKenzie said, "The people who know me know that I’m a man of character. I have two daughters. I have two sons too. ... I want the truth. I want the truth to show itself” (MMQB.SI.com, 4/28). ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said the Raiders by picking Conley reminded people that "in this country, you are innocent until proven guilty." Smith asked, "Why should this individual's future be impeded in any possible way just because somebody said what they said? … You want to make sure you don't rob somebody for the potential future opportunities that they have based on an accusation, while at the same time simultaneously sending and disseminating the message, ‘This stuff is not something we play with. We take it very, very seriously and everybody needs to watch themselves.’" ESPN's Will Cain added, “Should Conley be barred from the NFL right now? Of course not. It’s an accusation" ("First Take," ESPN, 4/28).
POLYGRAPH TAKEN BEFORE DRAFT: USA TODAY's Tom Pelissero reports the Raiders "weren’t the only team considering drafting Conley," as the Ravens "requested that Conley take a polygraph test." He drove from Columbus to Akron "to take the test roughly 90 minutes before the draft began, then continued on to Canton, where he had his draft party near his hometown of Massillon." The Ravens took Alabama CB Marlon Humphrey with the 16th pick before the Raiders took Conley at No. 24 (USATODAY.com, 4/28). Conley initially had been "among the players invited to attend the draft in Philadelphia." However, he "opted against" that following the accusations were made public (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/28).
