Who might the Raiders take with the 17th pick in the NFL draft? Here’s what analysts think
Noted ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is back with his mock and that can mean one thing: the draft will be here in no time.
While the NFL draft is set for April 29 to May 1, many websites have already started posting mock drafts and are projecting where college football players will end up.
Kiper published his first mock draft Tuesday and said it’s his “preliminary projections for the first round.”
He wrote that he’s been covering the draft for 40 years and said this draft “is going to be one of the most interesting drafts since I started covering them.”
Kiper said the draft will get interesting when the New York Jets select at No. 2.
His colleague, Todd McShay, posted his first mock draft a couple weeks ago, while NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah announced his first mock draft last week.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ selection is not until the 17th pick.
The Raiders need plenty of help on defense after finishing the season 25th in defense (389.1 yards per game) and the passing defense was also 25th (263.3 ypg). The Raiders’ rushing defense was 24th (125.8) and allowed the 30th most points allowed at 29.9 points per game.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden hired Gus Bradley to be their defensive coordinator after spending three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
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The Raiders can go anywhere on defense and Kiper projects the team to select defensive end Jaelan Phillips of Miami.
“This is a strange draft in that there are no dominant pass-rushers. Phillips could be the top edge prospect, and I have only a mid-first-round grade on him. But he had a dominant season for the Hurricanes after transferring from UCLA, where he had ended his career because of concussion issues,” Kiper wrote. “The former five-star prospect missed the 2019 season and then ended up at Miami, where he had 5.5 sacks in his final three games. Depending on his medical checks, Phillips could rise even higher. The Raiders, meanwhile, had one of the NFL’s worst pass rushes again (21 sacks, fourth worst) and got only two sacks from 2019 No. 4 pick Clelin Ferrell.”
Phillips totaled 45 tackles and eight sacks. He also had one interception.
McShay ignored the defense and instead projected the Raiders to select Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
“Didn’t the Raiders just draft Henry Ruggs in the first round last year? Didn’t they then take Bryan Edwards in the third? Yes, but this team still needs playmakers on offense. Nelson Agholor is likely to be a free agent, and Edwards hasn’t yet taken the step. He would give coach Jon Gruden yet another speedy problem to throw at opponents and also help one of the NFL’s worst kick-return units. Thanks to a busy 2020 offseason and some secondary-friendly draft classes, there aren’t too many other glaring needs. However, the Raiders’ 21 sacks were the league’s fourth fewest, and it’d be a good spot to start looking at additional pass-rushers.”
(Note: An ESPN+ subscription is required to see Kiper and McShay’s full analysis.)
NFL.com
Jeremiah agrees with Kiper on going defense, but he went with a different player: linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of Notre Dame.
“Owusu-Koramoah is a dynamic athlete at the second level of the defense. He can cover in the slot if needed and he’s an excellent blitzer. The Raiders need to address the pass rush, too, and that could be an option here with this pick,” Jeremiah wrote.
The 6-foot-1 Owusu-Koramoah finished the season with 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
