The 2021 NFL Draft is going to take place in Cleveland, Ohio from April 29 to May 1. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold seven picks with selections coming in the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and two seven rounders.
The Raiders traded their 2021 fifth to the Bills for wide receiver Zay Jones. In addition, they sent kicker Eddy Pineiro to the Bears for a 2021 seventh-round selection. For the moment, Las Vegas is not projected to receive any compensatory picks next year. The Raiders have done a good job filling the roster with talent on both ends of the ball. For that reason, there are few needs remaining on the team heading into the 2020 season. Nonetheless, this can and will change as the season goes on. For now, let’s look at their 2021 mock draft.
Note: Picks used are based on 2020 Vegas Super Bowl Odds which have the Raiders 18th best odds with a +4500 odds.
*All Career stats are up to and including the 2019 NCAA Season
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Round 1 Pick 14: Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State
6-5 | 311 LB
Career Stats: 28 Games, 92 Tackles, 13 Tackles for Loss, 8.5 Sacks, 5 Passes Defensed, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Forced Fumble
Wilson could’ve been the first defensive tackle taken in 2020, but he decided to return to Florida State. The Raiders were rumored to be looking to add a defensive tackle, and general manager Mike Mayock has always been a fan of interior pass rushers. Despite the Raiders adding Maliek Collins in free agency, finding someone to pair with Maurice Hurst long term should be the team’s goal. Wilson is a massive player that has a quick first step and has great strength to beat nearly any guard or center. Wilson is great at overwhelming opponents and freeing up lanes of pass rush for other pass rushers. His bulk and prowess would pair well with Hurst’s strength and speed and create a deadly interior line. Also, he is also a strong run stopper.
Pro Comparison: Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
Round 2 Pick 46: Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
6-0 | 203 LB
Career Stats: 21 Games, 125 Tackles, 1.5 Tackles for Loss, 12 Interceptions, 1 Touchdown, 14 Passes Defensed, 1 Fumble Recovery, 2 Forced Fumbles
Cisco is one of the top safety talents in the 2021 class and his tape and stats show why. He is a heavy-hitting safety with great ball production. He has great hands to take away passes and is athletic enough to jump and dive to make interceptions and deflections. In addition, he has great awareness to help in run support and speed to track down deep field threats. He does struggle in tackling but has shown improvements throughout his years at Syracuse. Cisco can play both free and strong safety and would pair well with Abram, who can rotate between both positions. While the Raiders added Damarious Randall in free agency, he is 27 years old and will be 28 at the start of the season. Cisco would give the Raiders youth in the secondary and a long term duo of hard-hitting ball hawk safeties to pair with a couple of young corners in Mullen and Arnette.
Pro Comparison: Eddie Jackson, S, Chicago Bears
Round 3 Pick 78: Thayer Munford, OT, Ohio State
6-6 | 310 LB
Career Stats: 26 Games, 5 Sacks Allowed, 7 QB Hits Allowed, 14 QB Hurries Allowed
Currently, offensive tackle isn’t a top need for the Raiders with Trent Brown and 2018 first-rounder Kolton Miller. However, the Raiders struggled with depth in the offensive line and Miller isn’t playing like a top 15 pick either. Miller has allowed 20 sacks in two years and could be on the hot seat if he fails to prove in year three. Enter Thayer Munford, an athletic freak at offensive tackle. He is a massive 6 foot 6 inches and 310 pounds but is insanely agile and his strength is off the charts. Munford can keep up with speed, power, or agile EDGE rushers and has the versatility to kick inside to guard. While his footwork can cause him to slip up on early blocks and become over-eager in run blocks, his pass blocking is elite and would be able to lock down the position if Miller flops in 2020. Also, he would give the Raiders security if Brown went down or if they choose to give up on Miller.
Pro Comparison: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
Round 4 Pick 110: Jack Anderson, OG, Texas Tech
6-5 | 300 LB
Career Stats: 28 Games, 4 Sacks Allowed, 5 QB Hits Allowed, 13 QB Hurries Allowed
Anderson is a bully at guard, which fits right into the Raiders narrative with Incognito and John Simpson. Anderson is fast and agile for someone his size while also being strong and able to push off blockers. The Raiders have the position locked up for at least one more year but they could choose to move on. With the addition of Simpson in the draft, they could look to rebuild a young offensive line. Anderson is strong in both run and pass block and allows them to have security in case of injury or a future starter at guard
Pro Comparison: Richie Incognito, OG, Las Vegas Raiders
Round 6 Pick 174: Nate Landman, LB, Colorado
6-3 | 230 LB
Career Stats: 31 Games, 231 Tackles, 27 Tackles for Loss, 6 Sacks, 3 Interceptions, 6 Pass Defended, 1 Fumble Recovery, 2 Forced Fumbles
Landman hits like a truck, and is appropriately nicknamed “The Hammer”. Landman hits hard at the point of contact and provides great versatility while being an average pass rusher, run blocker, and coverage linebacker. He also plays well on special teams and has the speed to run as a quarterback spy or cover running backs. The Raiders linebacker core is finally good but adding depth never hurts, especially with a league full of injuries. A linebacker that can be successful in all three phases and play on special teams is valuable in the NFL and allows them to not fear if Littleton or Kwiatkowski go down. While he isn’t super athletic, he makes up for it with versatility and hit power.
Pro Comparison: Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Round 7 Pick 205: Josh Pederson, TE, UL Monroe
6-5 | 232 LB
Career Stats: 28 Games, 67 Receptions, 824 Receiving Yards, 11 Touchdowns
Josh Pederson is the son of Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and is an explosive athlete. He can block and makes plays with the ball in his hands. With Jason Witten likely in his last year, the Raiders could look for a tight end that can block and receive to pair with Foster Moreau and Darren Waller. He can bring blocking ability and allows the Raiders the ability to rotate between players and always have someone who can block or go out for a pass.
Pro Comparison: Blake Bell, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Round 7 Pick 206: Emeka Emezie, WR, NC State
6-3 | 210 LB
Career Stats: 33 Games, 122 Receptions, 1355 Receiving Yards, 8 Touchdowns
Emezie is a question mark for the 2021 draft, currently projected to go late in the sixth or the early seventh. He has all the skills and the ability to rise into the mid-second to early third, but it will depend on him and his quarterback play. Emezie isn’t an explosive wide receiver, but he is physical and can make catches in tough situations. He also plays great in run blocking, has sticky hands and rarely drops the ball. He isn’t fast or athletic by any means, but he’s big and strong, traits currently missing in the NFL. Emezie would provide good depth and versatility in the Raiders wide receiver room along with another big body weapon for Derek Carr.
Pro Comparison: Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions
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Top Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty