Wide receiver is definitely a position of need for the Las Vegas Raiders and plenty believe they will select one in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Nevertheless, this year’s class has so much talent that they can afford to pick pick one in later rounds.
Plenty of receiver talent atop
The first round of the draft will be filled with prospects such as CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Laviska Shenault Jr, who will likely be picked in the top 20. Even if teams don’t get to pick any of them, there will still be others worth drafting from pick No.20 to 90. That’s how many options NFL teams will have a shot at a wide receiver. However, other position groups aren’t as plentiful.
Other than Xavier McKinney and Antoine Winfield, the safety class comes with question marks, whether it’s tackling or coverage. The same goes for cornerback; after the top three, there’s a steep decline in talent. Jeff Okudah will likely be a top five pick and it’s uncertain if C.J. Henderson or Kristian Fulton will be available at 12.
In the same manner, the Raiders signed Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski to bolster their linebacker corps. That was good (and affordable) as other than Isaiah Simmons, who also will see his name called early in the first round, there aren’t any surefire prospects at the position. Patrick Queen and Kenneth Murray are not in the same tier as Simmons
Related: Denzel Mims Deserves A Look By Raiders
Some say, the Raiders could trade the 19th pick for more picks, maybe a lower selection still in the first round or a second and something else. Denzel Mims may be there in the late first round. If Las Vegas desires so, they can target Tyler Johnson and Michael Pittman Jr. in the second round – if they get their hand on a second round pick.
At the end of the day, the Raiders will have to take a risk in whoever they feel the most comfortable with regardless of the position they play. As it is, the draft is a crapshoot, there is an element of randomness that teams account for. There were no Pro Days held and because of the current pandemic, teams weren’t able to go through medical examinations.
Wide receiver might be the consensus at 12, and possibly 19, but if the Raiders want to go against the flow, they will be able to do so and focus on the position in later rounds
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