Category: Raiders NFL Draft

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen mock drafts shift from defense to offense for the Las Vegas Raiders. Most mocks are giving the Raiders an offensive tackle at No. 17 and a few occasionally slot them a linebacker.

However, one position that we haven’t seen a ton of mocked to the Raiders is cornerback. That does make some sense after the team selected one in the first round last year, picking Damon Arnette at No. 19. But given his struggles as a rookie, could the Raiders go back to the Big Ten again and draft another first-round corner?

In a recent mock draft by Peter Schrager of the NFL Network, he mocked Greg Newsome from Northwestern to the Raiders at No. 17. Here is what he had to say about that selection below:

“This could be higher than other mock drafts have Newsome going, but I think teams are higher on the Northwestern CB than the rest of our “draft media” world. He is smart, tough and brings professionalism to the field. The Raiders will be looking to continue their offseason trend: beefing up the defense.”

Newsome is one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in this class. He can play on the outside or in the slot. He has experience playing in both man and zone schemes and was productive in both.

If the Raiders want to upgrade their secondary with a scheme diverse player, Newsome would be the ideal candidate in the middle of the first round. Expect him to be the third cornerback off the board after Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn and potentially go around where the Raiders pick at No. 17.

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As we inch closer and closer to the 2021 NFL draft, it’s becoming clear what the Raiders intend to do with the No. 17 pick. The team has a massive hole on the right side of their offensive line and it appears the Raiders will use their first pick on a right tackle.

But is that the way the team should use their most valuable asset? Or, would it be wise for the Raiders to use No. 17 to address their defense?

In a recent article by former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, he believes the Raiders would be wise to address the offensive line early in the draft rather than the defense. And he believes the ideal pick would be Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater, even in a trade-up. Here are his thoughts on Slater and the Raiders via ESPN:

“The Raiders moved on from a majority of their starting offensive linemen over the past few weeks, and Slater is versatile enough to slide into any role Las Vegas would need him to fill. That should be the target here, but I did consider adding a guy like Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) to the cornerback group. One thing to know: Slater could be the first offensive player from Northwestern taken in the first round since fellow tackle Chris Hinton went fourth overall in 1983.”

Caleb Farley would be an interesting option for the Raiders as he is an incredibly talented cornerback as Tannenbaum mentioned. But the offensive line has to be the target for the Raiders. If they can’t protect Derek Carr, they won’t have a chance.

Expect Rashawn Slater, along with Alijah Vera-Tucker and Teven Jenkins to all be possible picks for the Raiders at No. 17.

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Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a number of different players and positions mocked to the Raiders at No. 17. However, if we have learned anything about the Raiders under Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden, they like to take players from big-programs who have traits.

One player that fits that criteria is Christian Barmore, the stud defensive tackle from Alabama. While he isn’t experienced (just a handful of starts in college) Barmore is a good athlete, running a 4.95 40-yard dash at 310 pounds. He also shined in the college football playoffs, totaling three tackles for a loss and two sacks against Notre Dame and Ohio State.

In a recent mock draft by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, he had the Raiders selecting Barmore at pick No. 17 to address their defensive tackle need. Here is what Zierlein had to say about the possible pick:

“Many mock drafts have Las Vegas targeting a linebacker here, but Barmore is a true two-way defensive tackle who can improve the Raiders’ run defense and interior pass rush.”

The Raiders don’t have any long-term options on their roster at defensive tackle as Maurice Hurst enters the final year of his rookie contract. Beyond that, it’s a bunch of unproven players on one-year deals.

Barmore needs some seasoning, but he has the size, speed and strength to become a dominant pass rusher in the NFL. Don’t be surprised if this is the selection for the Raiders given the lack of depth at defensive tackle and the depth at other “need” positions such as offensive tackle and safety.

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With just a month to go until the 2021 NFL draft, the needs for the Raiders couldn’t be any clearer. The team needs a starting right tackle, another cornerback and a safety. However, deciding which need is the biggest is up for debate.

In a recent article by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, each writer was asked to give their biggest question mark on the roster heading into the draft. For the Raiders and Paul Gutierrez, that was at the safety position. Here is what he had to say about the position as we stand right now:

“But this much is no laughing matter — are the Raiders comfortable with Jeff Heath and Dallin Leavitt as their two free safeties? Drafting a safety at No. 17 overall would be intriguing, but it would also be counterproductive for an already-young unit that badly needs, again, veteran leadership on the back end.”

The Raiders are in a bit of a bind here. They have a huge need at free safety, but they really don’t need another young player in the secondary and the draft class isn’t all that top-heavy at safety.

So is the plan to heave Heath or Leavitt start there and use their draft resources on other positions? Or will they take a safety inside the top-100 picks with the intention of starting him? That all remains to be seen, but the safety position is arguably the biggest weakness on the team heading into the month of May.

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With less than a month to go until the 2021 NFL draft, it’s starting to become clear what the Raiders will do in the first round. The team has needs on defense, specifically in the secondary, but no need is bigger than the hole they have at right tackle.

If the season were to start today, the Raiders would likely need to slide Denzelle Good to right tackle or play Brandon Parker. Neither option is preferred as the Raiders would love to grab a Day 1 starter at pick No. 17.

The ideal fit would be Christian Darrisaw from Virginia Tech, who is widely regarded as the third-best offensive lineman in this class behind Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater. And in the latest Pro Football Focus mock draft, that is who Austin Gayle had falling to the Raiders:

“Darrisaw was one of the bigger college football breakouts in 2020. A former three-star recruit out of Maryland, he improved his grade from 68.6 starting at left tackle in 2018 up to 95.6 playing the same position in 2020. The 6-foot-5, 350-pounder earned himself some money this season, for sure.”

Darrisaw is the complete package at offensive tackle. He is a dominant run blocker and can move defenders off the line of scrimmage with ease. In pass-sets, his feet are smooth and he is very patient. If he were to slide to right tackle in the NFL, he could become a Pro Bowl player right away as that is just how talented he is.

If Darrisaw were to somehow fall to the Raiders at pick No. 17, it would be a homerun selection. Don’t be surprised if Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden consider trading up into the draft to secure him given how talented he is and how big of a need the team has at offensive tackle.

Darrisaw should be the team’s No. 1 target entering the draft.

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