It’s officially that time of year again; mock draft season. With just four games remaining left in the NFL season, several teams are probably starting to look forward to the 2022 draft.
That probably includes the Las Vegas Raiders, who have lost five of their last six games. According to Tankathon, they would own the No. 14 pick if the draft started today. That certainly would be high enough for the Raiders to grab a Day 1 impact starter.
In Todd McShay’s first mock draft of the season on ESPN, he had the Raiders selecting defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal from Texas A&M. Here is what McShay said about the possible pairing in the first round:
“Las Vegas loves the versatile types up front, and Leal’s picture might as well be next to “versatile” in the dictionary. He can win inside with a quick first step. He can turn speed to power on the outside. He can make plays in run defense with excellent range. Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby are impact players off the edge, but the Raiders are overmatched on the interior every week. They have to nail this pick, and Leal — my No. 6 prospect — hits need and value here.”
Defensive tackle is surely a need for the Raiders entering 2022 as they don’t have a long-term solution at the spot. Solomon Thomas has been up and down this year, but he is more of a rotational player at best. Johnathan Hankins is getting long in the tooth and Quinton Jefferson is on just a one-year deal.
Leal would give the Raiders another long and athletic defensive tackle to pair with Crosby and Ngakoue. He doesn’t quite have the production you would want from a top-15 pick (only 13 career sacks), he is a player who improved every season in the SEC.
Don’t be surprised if Leal is one of the few names the Raiders do consider in the middle of Round 1 as he fills a big need.
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