The Las Vegas Raiders head into the NFL Draft in control of their destiny. With that said, they still need to address their defense. Amid a deep wide receiver class, they could go all defense in the first round.
Raiders Blog: One potential scenario for Las Vegas
The argument is there’s a drop-off in talent at wide receiver after the top 10 go off the board. While there may be some truth to this, general manager Mike Mayock has shown he’s one of the best talent evaluators. He’ll find gems regardless of the round. Meanwhile, the Raiders are all in on their defense as we saw in free agency.
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The signings of Nick Kwiatkoski, Cory Littleton, Maliek Collins, Carl Nassib, and Damarious Randall indicate Mayock’s urgency. As great as those signings are, the Raiders still need depth and more importantly, they need young talent to build on and develop as they go. Maybe going all defense in this mock scenario is the answer. In this scenario, Mayock uses later picks to address wide receiver, picking someone like Michael Pittman Jr.
#12 Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Raider Nation needs to accept Isaiah Simmons won’t be there at 12. That doesn’t mean they still can’t go linebacker, and Murray from Oklahoma would be the perfect complement in the Raiders linebacker corps. We’ve already seen what the current linebackers (excluding the free agent signings) can and can’t do. Murray is a well-rounded prospect that can be relied on in both coverage and blitz packages, which should make Paul Guenther very happy.
#19 CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
The Raiders still need a starting cornerback opposite of Trayvon Mullen. Why put a band aid on the position with a veteran free agent when you can draft Henderson who’ll be an instant starter? Also, let’s not forget Mayock is in position to move into the second round to pick a wide receiver if he chose to do so, making this pick all that much more brilliant.
The Raiders defense in 2020 could become quite explosive with such a facelift this offseason.
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