Round 4 (Pick 121)- Ihmir Smith-Marsette, wide receiver, Iowa
Gruden loves himself wide receivers, as the room continues to change. Even with a full wide receiver room, the Raiders dip their toes in a deep wide receiver class in the fourth round. Ihmir Smith-Marsette didn’t have great college numbers, mostly because of usage in college with bad quarterback play. However, he is a great athlete with a huge day-three upside. This Las Vegas team takes a swing here hoping to get deeper at the position.
Round 5 (Pick 162)- Elerson Smith, defensive end, Northern Iowa
There was a lot of hype surrounding Smith after the Senior Bowl, where he put on a show. His Senior-Bowl performance along with his athletic traits, make this pick a value pick and not a reach for the Raiders. In defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s new system, the team is going to rely heavily on the front four to generate pressure. Smith is a long, active pass-rusher who can offer the Raiders a situational pass-rusher that excels off the edge.
Round 5 (Pick 167) Deommodore Lenoir, cornerback, Oregon
Adding a second corner in this draft makes sense for the Raiders, after ignoring the position in free agency. The depth is still lacking and adding a prospect in round five to compete makes a lot of sense. Lenoir isn’t the most athletic guy in the draft but should step in as a decent zone defender in the NFL, his troubles start in man-to-man situations, which Las Vegas will try and keep him out of.
Round 6 (Pick 200) Pro Wells, tight end, TCU
This is strictly Gruden taking a swing at a two-sport athlete at the tight end position. The Raiders don’t have a huge need here, but Wells is a player who could explode onto the scene in the NFL. TCU had terrible quarterback play, but his 15 yards per catch in 2020 stood out. After addressing their needs in the first five rounds, Las Vegas can take a special teams role-player flier here.
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Top Photo: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
