Some unfortunate news came out this weekend. News you never like to see. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was arrested this weekend on charges of domestic violence and battery. This before the second round pick had even signed his rookie contract.

One of my first thoughts — probably because I’m in my 18th year covering the Raiders — was…whew!

Let me be clear that that wasn’t my *very* first thought. That thought was reserved for the alleged victim in this. But a couple thoughts into it, it hit me how seemingly plausible it was that Judkins could have been one of the Raiders’ selections.

Let’s first remove the fact that because the Raiders were focused on high character players they *may* have been able to recognize that Judkins wouldn’t fit what they were looking for in a player and focus solely on the other factors here. Mainly because who knows how obvious it may or may not have been that Judkins had any character concerns.

Let’s just focus on what we know.

The Browns had the pick right before the Raiders at the top of the draft. They select Michigan DT Mason Graham. Ashton Jeanty was considered the best player on the board at that time, but Graham is at a more valuable position, so they took him. And nobody disagreed with that selection. But the Browns could just as easily gone with the best player on the board and taken Jeanty. And no one would have batted an eye.

Instead, with Graham selected at five overall, the Raiders took Jeanty at six, and the Browns shifted their focus to running back in the second round, taking Judkins at 36 overall. Just before the Raiders were on the clock at 37.

But it stands to reason that had the Browns taken Jeanty, the Raiders would have gone with filling another position with their pick at six. Perhaps WR Tetairoa McMillan? Or an offensive tackle like Kelvin Banks or Armand Membou? And then the Raiders would have to revisit their top need at running back in the second round.

And the Browns, having already taken a back, don’t take Judkins in round two, making him the top back on the board when the Raiders select at 37.

Judkins performed at a high level in Chip Kelly’s offense at Ohio State. And with Kelly as OC in Las Vegas, the connections were there. Therefore a great many mock drafts — including my only Raiders seven-round mock draft — pegged Judkins to the Raiders at that spot.

But the Browns didn’t take Jeanty, leaving him for the Raiders. The Raiders got the best player at their biggest need position, the Browns took Judkins, the Raiders traded down a couple times in the second round and addressed wide receiver with the selection of Jack Bech at 58 overall.

Whew.