We have finally made it to the week of the NFL Draft. And you can bet that there will be thousands of mock drafts posted this week as people try to predict what will happen on Thursday.
But one of the most plugged-in writers in the NFL is Peter King, who routinely nails several picks during the draft. He posted his final mock draft on Monday morning and there were quite a few surprises:
So what did he have the Raiders doing in his final mock? He had them selecting a defensive back in Round 1.
With every defensive back still on the board at No. 7, the Raiders selected Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon in Round 1. Here is his explanation behind the pick:
I believe, would relish this scenario, with every corner and every offensive lineman on the board still—two position groups that must be addressed in this draft. Witherspoon is a tenacious and versatile player, and that versatility drives him to the top of the cornerback class.
He’s played outside corner and slot corner, and he’s played man and zone. He was the best tackler on Illinois’ defense in 2022. On a corner-needy defense, it’d be a surprise if Witherspoon wasn’t a day-one starter.
It’s hard to be too critical of this pick for Las Vegas as he would be a perfect fit in their defense and would bring more physicality to the defense. Witherspoon is arguably the best cornerback in this class and would fill a massive need for the Raiders.
Is this what the Raiders will ultimately do on Thursday night? We shall see, but King usually is spot-on early in Round 1. Expect Witherspoon (if available) to be one of the two or three names the Raiders consider at No. 7.
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