The NFL world was stunned on Tuesday evening when Panthers’ All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement. Kuechly was selected ninth overall in the first round of the 2012 draft and made seven Pro Bowls in his career.
While the Panthers will undoubtedly miss him, his retirement could have a significant impact on the Raiders’ draft plans. The Raiders have two big needs entering the 2020 offseason; wide receiver and linebacker. While the wide receiver position is deep, the same can’t be said for the linebacker depth in this draft.
By most accounts, Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is the only linebacker worthy of a top-15 selection. And as we noted here on the Raiders Wire, Simmons has been a common mock draft selection for the Raiders at No. 12. But with the Panthers now losing Kuechly, Simmons could be a target for the Panthers at No. 7.
In a recent mock draft at the Draft Wire, this exact scenario played out as the Panthers selected Simmons while the Raiders were forced to wait at linebacker and go with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. It’s certainly possible that Carolina will select someone other than Simmons, it does feel like he is the favorite to go at that selection.
If the Raiders feel like Simmons doesn’t have a chance to make it to their pick at No. 12, don’t be surprised if they try to address their linebacker needs in free agency instead. While the names are certainly less inspiring, this could be a less risky strategy. Nevertheless, the Raiders certainly don’t feel like the consensus team to draft Isaiah Simmons any longer.