Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock has done a solid job with the safety position. However, if he and the front office want to add another one in the 2020 NFL Draft, it would be wise for them to avoid LSU’s Grant Delpit.
As the draft quickly approaches, the Raiders still have several holes that need to be plugged, wide receiver and cornerback come to mind. Safety, on the other hand, isn’t one of them, or at least not a position the Raiders should address with their coveted first-round picks.
Depth Is In Abundance For The Raiders
If the Raiders want to invest a later selection on a safety, using a third round pick, for example, would be the smarter play. As of right now, the safeties on the roster are Damarious Randall, Jeff Heath, LaMarcus Joyner, Erik Harris, and Johnathan Abram. How this group ends up looking and performing will depend on Abram delivering on his potential. After all, he’s played less than one game. Best case scenario, he plays lights out and Las Vegas gets solid play from Randall next to him and a rookie in the wings. Yet, that first-year player shouldn’t be Delpit.
Related: Raiders Aren’t Patching Up Defense Anymore
Despite battling injuries last year, Delpit is still expected to go in the first round and is one of the highest-ranked prospects. One of his biggest weaknesses, if not the biggest, is his tackling. If you’re going to invest a first-round pick on a weak tackler, you’re setting yourself up for issues. Especially when you consider that you can take a potential superstar wide receiver with one of those picks.
What Do The Experts Say?
“…it’s still difficult to forget about all the whiffs in 2018 that carried over a bit although much improved. Can be a touch loose with zone coverage spacing and he needs to be more consistent trusting his landmarks.” –Joe Marino, The Draft Network, Marino also cited Delpit’s tackling as his biggest weakness.
“…Ultimately he is a solid football player than doesn’t have a single elite trait about him. However, he has the type of versatility in his skill set that a decision-maker may covet early in the Draft.” –Drae Harris, The Draft Network
We’re not necessarily saying Delpit isn’t worth a first-round pick, the 2019 Jim Thorpe award winner and All-American is one of the most versatile prospects this year after all. But given the Raiders’ other pressing needs and the risk of taking a safety early with a tackling deficiency, perhaps it’d be best if they stay clear.
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