REPORT: Re-Drafting Raiders' 2021 First-Round Pick

In hindsight, the Las Vegas Raiders missed out on other opportunities by taking Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, to say the least.

Jan 15, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Alex Leatherwood (70) reacts after their loss against the Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

As all Las Vegas Raiders fans know, one of the most disappointing draft outcomes in recent memory was the Raiders' selection of offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Leatherwood simply didn't pan out, and Las Vegas would release him as part of the 2022 roster cuts. The Alabama product did start all 17 games for the Silver and Black in his lone season with the club, but he was far from the first-round talent the Raiders had expected.

Leatherwood has not appeared in an NFL game since he four with the Chicago Bears in 2022.

Pro Football Focus' Khaled Elsayed recently released a re-draft of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

While nothing, of course, can be done about Las Vegas' decision to select Leatherwood, it is sometimes fun -- and other times, despairing -- to look out what could have been.

In his re-draft, Elsayed had the Raiders selecting defensive lineman Alim McNeill with that No. 17 overall pick. McNeill was just recently extended to a four-year, $97-million deal by the Detroit Lions, a testament to the fact that he is much more valuable than where Detroit landed him in that 2021 NFL Draft (third round).

Here's what Elsayed had to say about this fictional pick by the Raiders:

"The less said about Alex Leatherwood, the better. It’s a pick that didn’t work out spectacularly, as the team cut ties after one season with him. In a class that produced plenty on the interior offensive line, there are options there, but the Raiders instead grab an impact player for their defensive line. McNeill has developed into a quality starter and is coming off a 2023 season where he was the eighth-ranked interior defensive lineman."

McNeill has been a key part of a dominant Lions defensive line, helping lead the team to the NFC title game last season. Last season season, McNeill totaled 32 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 13 quarterback pressures, 10 quarterback hits, a pass defensed and a forced fumble in just 13 games.

Other selections in Elsayed's re-draft included the New York Jets taking linebacker Micah Parsons with the second overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers taking cornerback Pat Surtain II at 3 and the Atlanta Falcons selecting wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fourth overall pick.

You can view the entire re-draft here.

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