Our most recent mock draft database had every single prognosticator pegging the Raiders to take a wide receiver with one of their first-round picks. It is arguably their biggest need and therefore it makes sense they would address it early. But Pro Football sees things a bit differently.
Tuesday they put out their 3-round mock draft and even with the Raiders standing pat at No. 12 and No. 19, they have the Raiders going without a wide receiver.
Instead, they have the Raiders going with a similar approach as they did last year, taking two players from the current National Championship team.
At No. 12, they have the Raiders taking cornerback Kristian Fulton as the second corner off the board. Even though most other draft boards and mock drafts have Fulton still available late in the first round. Their grades tell them Fulton as a better prospect than Florida’s CJ Henderson, so he was the pick.
The way they have the first round falling, there isn’t a wide receiver worth taking at that pick. Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs III are all off the board by that point. They have Jeudy going to the Giants at 4th overall, Ruggs to the Jaguars at No. 9, and Lamb to the Jets at 11. And with those three gone, going receiver at No. 12 would be a big reach for the Raiders.
At No. 19, there could be some receivers worthy of being selected. But instead, they have the Raiders going back to the LSU well, taking safety Grant Delpit.
It’s interesting to think the Raiders could go after all LSU players. I could certainly see them going after one with their pick at No. 19 with Delpit and Fulton being two of four Tigers players that could make sense for them.
Ok, so they shore up the secondary in the first round. Not the worst strategy. Surely they will bulk up the receiver position with one of their three picks in the third round.
Uh…apparently not.
PFF instead sees the Raiders DOUBLING UP on tackles, taking UConn’s Matt Peart at 80th overall and Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson at No. 91. In between they take Washington State QB Anthony Gordon.
So, five picks in the top 100 and they don’t address wide receiver in an incredibly deep class, ignore linebacker as well, and get two tackles when they have both of their current starters in house long term. Not getting a linebacker wouldn’t surprise me much. The Raiders have been ignoring linebacker on the draft’s first two days for years.
Regardless, this draft is strange to say the least. But I am not about to say that the was “bad” mock. Only that if the Raiders did this, it would be very bad.
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