First and foremost, the Raiders are expected to address the defense early and often in the 2021 draft. They have so many needs, however, that there is little in the way of consensus as to which position they will address, let alone which prospect.
The most commonly projected positions are linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle. And with as bad as they were at all of those positions, it’s easy to make a case for any of them.
In Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, he has the Raiders going after a pass rusher, taking Michigan’s Kwity Paye at 17 overall.
“Paye would give the Raiders some much-needed speed and athleticism up front. I’ve heard he’s going to put on a show at his pro day.”
In this mock draft, Paye is the second edge rusher off the board, with Miami’s Gregory Rousseau having gone to the Giants at 11 overall.
One player who has often been projected to the Raiders at 17 who was still on the board includes Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, which is who Jeremiah (Daniel, that is) had the Raiders selecting in his first mock draft. In his second mock, Owusu-Koramoah falls to the Jaguars with the 25th pick.
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