Written By Jordan Stiers
The Oakland Raiders had one of the better off-seasons in the league. First, they brought in draft legend Mike Mayock as general manager; he promptly responded by landing a top-3 wide receiver (Antonio Brown) for pennies on the dollar. The second phase of this offseason was attacking free agency. Oakland came roaring out of the gate, signing Trent Brown to a record-setting deal (4yr/66 mil) for offensive tackles and also added Tyrell Williams (4yr/44 mil) from the division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders were a little quieter on the defensive side of the ball, with only two notable signings. Lamarcus Joyner is one of my favorite players at the safety position, and they got him for a pretty reasonable price (4yr/42 mil). They also signed Vontaze Burfict, who, let’s be honest, should’ve been a Raider his whole career. No one doubts his ability on the field, just whether or not he has the self-control to keep himself on it.
I see the Raiders as a team with very few weaknesses, but not many studs either. They need playmakers on that defense, no matter the position. A dream scenario is pairing Quinnen Williams with last year’s draft steals (Mo Hurst and PJ Hall) on the interior of the defensive line; they have talent on the edge but need that X-factor. The secondary is in decent shape, but mostly the same concept- very solid players but lack a playmaker. On offense, they need to be targeting a vertical tight end that can stretch the field. They could also use some help on the interior of that offensive line due to Kelechi Osemele leaving in free agency. I see them throwing a couple of darts at that position later in the draft to create some competition at camp. Running back is also a need, and of this current class, only Josh Jacobs and Miles Sanders should be considered until the later rounds.
The Raiders gave their fans something to be excited for. They managed to make the fan base forget about trading away Mack and Cooper fairly quick. If they can hit on these draft picks, the Gruden hype train will be full steam ahead as they make the transition into Las Vegas.
Draft Picks:
Round 1 Pick 4
Round 1 Pick 24
Round 1 Pick 27
Round 2 Pick 35
Round 4 Pick 106
Round 5 Pick 140
Round 7 Pick 218
Round 7 Pick 235
Team Needs:
Edge
Tight End
Guard
Runningback
Safety
Cornerback
Player Fits:
Early Rounds (1-2)
Nick Bosa, Edge, Ohio St
Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky
Devin White, LB, LSU
Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
Mid Rounds (3-4)
David Long Jr, LB, West Virginia
Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida
David Montgomery, RB, Iowa St
Michael Jordan, G, Ohio St
David Long, CB, Michigan St
Oshane Ximines, CB, Old Dominion
Late Rounds (5-7)
Gary Johnson, LB, Texas
Mark Fields, CB, Clemson
Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma
Trevon Wesco, TE, West Virginia
Jamal Davis II, LB, Akron
Lukas Denis, S, Boston College
Ugo Amadi, S, Oregon
Bunchy Stallings, G, Kentucky
7 Round Mock Draft
Round 1 Pick 4: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Round 1 Pick 24: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Round 1 Pick 27: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
Round 2 Pick 35: Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
Round 4 Pick 106: Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida
Round 5 Pick 140: Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma
Round 7 Pick 218: Lukas Denis, S, Boston College
Round 7 Pick 235: Bunchy Stallings, G, Kentucky