Heading into John Gruden’s second year, he has Mike Mayock in the war room by his side. Gruden had a not-so-pleasant first season back in coaching after leaving the Monday Night Football booth. His goal now is to get the Raiders back to playing as they did in the early 2000s. Gruden and his coaching staff had the opportunity to coach at the Senior Bowl and meet a lot of the prospects in this year’s draft.
The Raiders and Gruden traded away two of their best players during this past season, sending Khalil Mack to the Bears and Amari Cooper to the Cowboys. Yet, they were able to get first-round picks in return for both players. The needs for the Raiders are to add a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, linebacker, cornerback, and safety to their roster.
Pick 4: DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Simply put, Metcalf is the type of player Al Davis would draft in a heartbeat. Along with that, he does fill in a need. Last year, Raider receivers were unable to create separation or make plays on the ball. Metcalf proved that he is a strong talent with his combine performance. He has shown glimpses on tape of that translating on the field.
Pick 24: Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
The Raiders were in Mobile, AL, for the Senior Bowl and were able to coach Adderley all week. All week long reports came out how much they loved Adderley’s work ethic. During the game, Adderley had Raider logo stickers all over his helmet, due to the fact that every time a player made a play to stand out, they received one.
Adderley also fills a need for the Raiders, being able to bring the secondary together. If you ever watched Delaware University game film you will see Adderley on almost every play. He is a very complete player and is not afraid to tackle.
Pick 27: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
The Raiders need help all along their defense as they were one of the worst in the league last season. They need to improve on their run and pass defense.
Bush has shown the ability to be a good linebacker at the NFL level. He has good coverage skills and is able to shot the gaps and tackle with consistency.
Pick 35: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa:
The Raiders are letting Jared Cook leave in free agency, so they will need to fill that position. While Gruden was in the broadcast booth, he always talked about if he comes back to coach that he would want to run a wide-open offense with an up-tempo rhythm. If Fant makes it out of the first round, that would be perfect for the Raiders.
Fant has some stellar speed for a tight end and can stretch the middle of the field. He also has the ability to stay home and block in both the run and pass sets.
Pick 66: Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State
The same as Adderley, McLaurin was with the Raiders staff at the Senior Bowl and had Raider logos all over his helmet by the end of the game. The Raiders need to improve team speed and separation and McLaurin will help with that.
McLaurin was constantly improving throughout his career with Ohio State. He has the speed to play either inside or outside, and his hands seem t be improving. He was also on all Ohio State special teams, which could help the Raiders right away.
Pick 106: Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
The Raiders have Derek Carr as their starter as of today, but Gruden may be looking beyond him. Carr started off his career hot but the last two seasons he has been dealing with injuries and hasn’t lived up to the contract he signed.
Jackson is a big bodied QB who can throw the ball well. He has excellent arm strength and helped the UBuffalo football team. He has some developing to do with his decision making and accuracy but it may help him sitting for a year or two before becoming a starter.
Pick 141: Michael Jackson, CB, Miami
The Raiders play in a division with the Chiefs and Chargers who love to throw the ball all over the field. The Raiders need to improve in coverage and takeaways. Jackson is a solid defender and can play zone or man. He also should be able to contribute on special teams right away.
Pick 196: Kyle Phillips, DE, Tennessee
Phillips was a top recruit coming out of high school but had setbacks in college. This is the part of the draft that if you see potential and feel your staff can develop a player, this is the time to select them. Phillips has the skillset but just needs someone to show him how to put all the pieces together.
Pick 218: Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska
Ozigbo had a solid career at Nebraska but always was missing that one thing to put him in the top tier of college running backs. It could be that Nebraska was having their worse season in recent memory. Then, in the postseason bowl games, Ozigbo went to the East/West Shrine and dominated. Then, he was called up to the Senior Bowl and had a solid week of practice. He ultimately showed well in the game.
Pick 235: Jordan Brailford, DE, Oklahoma State
Brailford increased his production throughout his college career. He showed that he can be a consistent pass rusher and can maintain the edge. He was a bright spot in the Senior Bowl and was almost unblockable in pass situations.
One Response
Great mock, loved the detail.