Raiders draft radar – Syndication Server

Linebackers who land squarely on Raiders draft radar

Linebackers in this draft who are Raiders are looking for and could be available for them

Linebacker was a position in flux last season for the Raiders. As of training camp the starting linebackers were Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Nicholas Morrow. By the end of last season, none of them were starters, and now all three of them are now gone.

What the replaced them with were Denzel Perryman and Divine Deablo. Perryman was acquired in trade just prior the start of the season and the rookie Deablo would take over starting duties late in season.

While Perryman has coverage limitations, he is a stellar middle linebacker and tackling machine. Deablo appeared to be an upgrade over Littleton, but whether he is worthy of continuing as the full time starter remains to be seen.

So, what the Raiders need is a linebacker who can cover and compete to either take over the starting duties for Deablo, or be the third linebacker in those instances when the Raiders field one.

The linebackers could be just what they need and may be on the board when they pick.

Centers squarely on Raiders draft radar

One of these centers could be just what Raiders need in this year’s draft

With how bad the Raiders’ offensive line was last season at every position but left tackle, it can be easy to overlook the center position. Mainly because right tackle is so crucial to pass protection and there are two guard spots. But make no mistake, the need at the position is considerable.

Andre James was a real question mark as an unproven player being handed the starting job last season after the team traded away Rodney Hudson. And the answer wasn’t a resounding yes. It was more of a ‘told ya so’ from those who weren’t confident in the move, as were the two guys to his right.

But unlike Alex Leatherwood who was selected at 17 overall in last year’s draft, it would be much easier to move on from James should they find an upgrade.

Two other factors that make center a good position to target is you can often find good ones on day two and three and they can often play guard as well, so you can address two positions at once. Those factors are pretty valuable to a team with four picks in the third round and after.

Here are some centers that could come in and immediately compete for the job.

Offensive tackles squarely on Raiders draft radar

A few tackles in this year’s draft who could be just what the Raiders are looking for

No question on this Raiders team is more pressing than that of the right tackle position. The team has no easy answer for that spot, just a few less than desirable options. Whether they think the answer is in the 2022 draft will depend largely on if someone they like will be on the board when they pick.

For that, I have compiled a list of tackles who should be of great interest to the team with the selections they have in this year’s draft.