The Raiders have hired NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as their next general manager.
The team made the news official Monday, and ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report it.
Mayock will replace Reggie McKenzie, whom the Raiders fired as GM earlier this month.
The team certainly can use Mayock’s expertise, as it will have four picks within the top 35 of the 2019 NFL Draft in April. How the Raiders use those selections could dictate the direction of the team, which just finished a 4-12 season.
Mayock attended Sunday’s Raiders-Chiefs game in Kansas City, Mo., and confirmed that he had interviewed for the job. Raiders coach Jon Gruden spoke highly of Mayock after the game.
“He loves it. He’s a passionate, passionate personnel man,” Gruden said. “He’s done it for a long time. He has had opportunities to get into the NFL as a general manager. We’ll see what happens when the dust settles.”
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Mayock, 60, has never worked in an NFL front office, but he played in the league as a defensive back in 1982 and 1983, and is widely considered one of the top draft experts.
Mayock has been with NFL Network since 2004. He also has television experience with ABC Sports, Fox Sports Net and CBS Sports, and he worked NBC's Notre Dame football broadcasts from 2010 to 2014.