Every year it feels as if NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock gets thrown into the mix for a potential GM jobs, and 2019 will be no different. Mayock is actively interviewing for the Raiders job, he confirmed on Sunday, and is reportedly a "strong candidate" to land the job.

A report emerged on Sunday afternoon from NFL Media (where Mayock works), naming him as a "strong candidate" to fill the vacant GM role. Reggie McKenzie was fired midseason in a move that was going to eventually happen no matter the outcome for Oakland this season.

Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal spoke to Mayock, who was at the Raiders-Chiefs game on Sunday for scouting (?) purposes, and Mayock confirmed he had interviewed with Oakland and Mark Davis/Jon Gruden about the potential GM job but didn't know where he stood in terms of the job situation.

"All I can say is I had an interview," Mayock said. "I know they've interviewed a whole bunch of guys. And I have no idea the status."

The NFL Media report, from Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, claims Mayock has "emerged as a strong candidate" for the job and states the Raiders "have fulfilled the Rooney Rule requirement" through the interview process. 

Oakland is a weird job right now: Jon Gruden has been acting like he's not in charge of everything that's happening, from the preseason Khalil Mack trade to the midseason Amari Cooper deal, but it's very obvious that the guy with the 10-year, $100 million contract is definitely making all the calls and pulling all the strings. 

Gruden sort of acted like he had nothing to do with McKenzie being fired. Don't believe that for a second -- Gruden is running things in Oakland. He's the guy in charge. He didn't like McKenzie's guys and that's why a lot of them have been shipped out. 

So the question becomes, what input will Mayock have? Mayock (NFL Network) didn't work with Gruden (ESPN) on the media side of things, but they obviously know each other well from Mayock's time covering the league. Mayock is one of the most respected guys in the draft business and has established himself as one of the smartest scouting voices out there. 

It would be a pretty huge leap from media member to GM, but this is a partnership that could make sense. Gruden's shown a willingness to put former media members on his staff, and Mayock could provide valuable input to Gruden as he builds out his scouting department and draft evaluation. 

Mayock -- or whoever takes the job -- just has to understand that the GM job in Oakland is a "title only" position. The only person who will have ultimate and final say over how things are handled with the Raiders is Gruden.