The Las Vegas Raiders are giving their offensive line a makeover this offseason. After trading Trent Brown to the New England Patriots, they have to fill the void at right tackle. While their defense also needs help, using the 17th overall pick on an offensive tackle prospect makes sense. A recent mock draft backs that assessment.
Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network projects in his latest mock draft that the Raiders will draft Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw 17th overall. A three-star prospect out of high school, he was a Day 1 starter for the Huskies as a freshman. However, it was until his junior year that he garnered the national spotlight and saw his draft stock rise. Last season, he didn’t post a Pro Football Focus grade lower than 77.5.
While Darrisaw needs to polish his footwork and blitz recognition, he’s the kind of prospect the Raiders would love to have at right tackle. Keep in mind Raiders’ offensive line coach Tom Cable attended Darrisaw’s Pro Day. Las Vegas could be performing its due diligence, or maybe they wanted to take a closer look. Regardless of the reason, the Maryland native seems to be on the Silver and Black’s radar.
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Drafting Christian Darrisaw would replenish the Raiders’ offensive line
There’s no doubt the Raiders need to upgrade the defense. They need to give defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as much help as possible. On the other hand, a wise man from Canada once said that the best defense is a good offense and if they want to keep quarterback Derek Carr upright, they had better replenish the offensive line. Trent Brown’s signing didn’t work out. Nevertheless, whenever he was healthy, he offered superb protection. Las Vegas needs that kind of performance on a consistent basis and Darrisaw can offer it.
Heading into the draft, the Raiders have many holes to address. Some of them may need more attention than others. However, drafting someone to watch over the right side of the offensive line looks like a sound decision. Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted right tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first round and it worked out fine. Las Vegas could follow their blueprint and take Darrisaw with the 17th overall pick.
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