In order to keep up with the best teams in the AFC, the Raiders have to get faster this offseason. The middle of their defense was too slow at points this season and it’s one of the reasons they failed to beat teams like the Chiefs and Bengals.
One of the best players in all of college football last year was Nakobe Dean. The All-American linebacker was the leader of the Georgia defense that won the national championship and he is expected to be a first-round pick.
In a recent mock draft by Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus, he mocked Dean to the Raiders at pick No. 22. Here is his reasoning behind the possible pairing:
“Dean is a leader and playmaker at the linebacker position — both things the Raiders have been lacking. He’s a little undersized at only 225 pounds, but he has elite sideline-to-sideline ability.”
The Raiders could use some more linebacker help this offseason as their only established starter on the roster is Denzel Perryman. Divine Deablo is a nice rotational linebacker, but it remains to be seen if he can take over the full-time job.
Dean compares very favorably to Roquan Smith of the Bears and just has a knack for making the big play when it’s needed. If the Raiders want to add some speed and leadership to their defense, Dean would be an outstanding pick at No. 22.
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