It’s becoming very common in mock drafts now that the Raiders will grab their future No. 1 receiver at pick No. 12, and then hope that a stud linebacker falls to them later on in the first round.
Typically, those mock drafts have the Raiders choosing between Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen. Both players are highly athletic linebackers that can run from sideline to sideline. Queen may have more upside, but it’s Murray who has more experience in production.
In most mocks, the Raiders wind up swinging for the fences by selecting Queen. But in the most recent mock draft by Mark Schofield of the Touchdown Wire, he has the Raiders taking Murray over Queen. Take a look at the reasoning behind the selection below:
The Raiders get Murray, an athletic linebacker from Oklahoma with sideline-to-slideline ability and the athleticism to handle increased man coverage responsibilities in the NFL. Murray showed that athleticism at the combine, when he posted a 4.52 40-yard dash, a vertical of 38” and a broad jump of 10’9”. A good fit for the modern NFL defense.
Murray is the more NFL-ready player after totaling 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons for the Sooners. While he may not be the best at taking on blocks, his speed and range are incredible. Look for the Raiders to consider both Murray and Queen at pick No. 19.
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