So far, the Raiders offseason has been quite successful. They added pass-catchers in All-Pro Antonio Brown and former Charger Tyrell Williams, as well as signing Trent Brown to man Derek Carr’s blindside. On defense, they improved at the safety position, bringing in former Ram, Lamarcus Joyner. The problem for the Raiders, though? Their roster still has plenty of gaps to fill. The solution? Three first round draft picks.
Three first round picks doesn’t mean three slam dunk players, but right now in Oakland, it has to be pretty darn close. Here’s, in my opinion, the best way for Oakland to maximize and fill the biggest roles on this roster.
Pick No. 4
Oakland is in a fairly easy spot with the fourth overall pick. As it stands right now, Kyler Murray appears slotted to go No. 1, which would leave Nick Bosa for the Niners at No. 2, and the Jets up at No. 3. The Jets essentially should make the decision for the Raiders, as they have to decide between Kentucky’s Josh Allen and Alabama’s Quinnen Williams. Oakland should simply take whoever the Jets don’t.
Allen is a pure edge rusher who’d slip right into the spot left by Khalil Mack. He has the perfect combination of strength and speed to be a 10+ sack per year guy in the NFL. He seems more likely headed for the Jets, however, leaving the Raiders with Williams, who’s quite the consolation. Williams is a high-motor guy who does everything he’s asked and more. Just take a look at the film here.
Notice how Williams (circled) draws a heavy double-team from the center and left guard. Normally, this would be the perfect scenario for one of his teammates, who just have to beat one guy, to get a sack. Williams, however, just absolutely blasts through the two linemen and beats his teammates to the quarterback. Not only that, but he finishes the play himself bringing the LSU QB to the ground.
This was one of eight sacks for Williams as a sophomore this past season, which would be welcomed by an Oakland team that had just 13 sacks last year. The second-worst teams (Giants/Patriots) had 30 sacks last year; over double the amount of the Raiders. Long story short, whether it’s Allen or Williams, they need help getting to the QB.
Pick No. 24
Twenty picks later the Raiders will be back on the clock with another chance to improve their defense. Here, I think they should turn to the back end and improve their secondary. The Raiders are lacking a real No. 1 corner, and it could pay to take a stab at trying to find one here.
The Raiders should consider LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy, Georgia’s Deandre Baker, or Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin.
Deandre Baker is my No. 1 ranked corner, having not allowed a TD in over two years at Georgia. The two biggest concerns with Baker are that he’s undersized and that he only had five interceptions in four years, bringing his ability to capitalize on mistakes into question. Here his biggest strength and weakness are on display.
What obviously stands out is the way that Baker is able to break on the ball, making up a lot of ground on a quick curl route. Many scouts are worried about his ability to read QBs and jump the ball, but on film, I see the opposite. What I do get concerned about is what I mentioned before. This should be an interception. You know what made the Quinnen Williams play (above) so great? He finished it. Baker didn’t. He didn’t come away with the football, and this is a consistent thing that’s happened. Does that mean the Raiders shouldn’t draft him? Hell no. But, if they’re worried about this issue, it could push him down their board.
After Baker, in order I have Murphy, Williams and then Ya-Sin. They all have their pluses and minuses should Oakland not end up with Baker.
Murphy had the best 2018, with four interceptions and nine pass deflections, both leading the group. He proved to have a nose for the football, which Oakland could be looking for, as they were a middle-of-the-pack team in takeaways last year.
Williams projects the best as an NFL corner, standing at 6’2″, 185 lbs. He looked the part in his first year starting, giving up just a 25.8 passer rating when targeted. However, he stepped back this past season leaving many questions. He tested well at the combine, but his on-field workout left much to be desired. The only way Oakland should draft him is if they believe they can shape him into a star.
Then, there’s Ya-Sin who emerged as a star at the Senior Bowl. On tape, you’ll see a guy who doesn’t give up a lot of big plays, which might be exactly what Oakland needs. While Ya-Sin did allow 32 catches, they were only for 264 yards, which was second behind Baker out of the four for yards allowed. Ya-Sin is also the only one of the four who saw some time in the slot, albeit limited. He’d provide Oakland with some wiggle room to figure out the best way to utilize their DBs.
Pick No. 27
At 27 is where Oakland has to take probably their biggest risk. Having already taken players to strengthen the defensive side, they must turn their attention to the offense. A lot of scouts have said they need another receiver, but this makes literally no sense. They just brought in Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, and to draft a WR in round one would just be overkill.
Where I think they do need to look is RB. They did sign Isaiah Crowell, and don’t get me wrong it’s a solid signing, but I mean…it’s still Isaiah Crowell. Oakland could benefit greatly from drafting Josh Jacobs out of Alabama to transform their backfield. He’s just as good if not better than Crowell in short yardage, and he can also do a lot more.
The quality here isn’t spectacular, but look what Jacobs does as he approaches the first-down marker. After reading blocks and hitting the first hole, he meets a safety who should end this play after 10 yards. Where Jacobs excels is sticking his foot in the ground and making one slashing cut to change direction. This turns a 10-yard scamper into a 60-yard gash of a run. Would I love to see him finish this with a touchdown? You bet I would, but this is still one hell of a play from the nations top RB prospect.
Think about what the Raiders offensive depth chart would be with Jacobs in the lineup. You’d have Carr under center. Trent Brown and 2018 first-round pick Kolton Miller are manning the tackles. Two out of three of the interior guys would be former Pro Bowlers. Jacobs out of the back, with Brown and Williams on the outside. Suddenly, you have something that resembles a real NFL offense.
In Conclusion
The Raiders have a great opportunity with these three picks, not to mention the third pick in the second-round. If they’re able to find starters at each of those picks, they should be a playoff team by the time they get to Vegas. In short, it falls heavily on the shoulders of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock to get this thing right.
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