The NFL Draft - On The Clock, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
Pick: #14
Top Needs: OG, FS, SS, CB, RB
Top Targets: Cody Whitehair, Eli Apple, Karl Joseph, Vonn Bell
Off The Board:
PickTeamPlayer, POSSchoolComments1Tennessee TitansLaremy Tunsil, OTOle MissA shut down corner to protect franchise QB Marcus Mariota. 2Cleveland BrownsJared Goff, QBCaliforniaThe Browns finally find an answer to stop the QB merry go-round of the last 20 years.3San Diego ChargersJalen Ramsey, DBFlorida StateWhether he plays cornerback or safety, the Chargers get one of the best players in the draft.4Dallas CowboysJoey Bosa, DL Ohio StateThe Cowboys shore up their defensive line, and find QB, LB and DB help later in the draft. 5Jacksonville Jaguars Vernon Hargreaves, CBFloridaThe Jaguars get a shutdown corner in the first round, find solutions in the front seven in free agency and the rest of the draft.6Baltimore RavensMyles Jack, SS/LBUCLAThe Ravens leap to draft an elite defensive talent, and possibly draft a future star.7San Francisco 49ersCarson Wentz, QBNorth Dakota StateKap forces the teams hand and they take a potential future starting QB to truly start a new era.8Miami DolphinsMackensie Alexander, CB ClemsonMiami plugs its biggest hole, but with a player who does have some questions.9Tampa Bay BuccaneersDeForest Buckner, DLOregonBuckner could easily go earlier, but he's too talented to fall any farther than this.10New York GiantsEzekiel Elliott, RBOhio StateNew York gets an immediate boost with Zeke Elliott, getting new HC Ben McAdoo a huge weapon.11Chicago BearsRonnie Stanley, OTNotre DameChicago still needs help on defense but gets a plug-and-play starter at tackle to help stabilize the offense.12New Orleans SaintsA'Shawn Robinson, DTAlabamaNew Orleans shores up the defense by plugging up the middle and getting tougher and more physical in the process.13Philadelphia EaglesJack Conklin, OTMichigan StateDoug Pederson gets a stabilizing force on the OL to restart the running game and protect his almost comically fragile QB.14Oakland Raiders???
It's an interesting time in the Bay Area, where the Raiders are in ascent and the 49ers are ... well, not so much. Sigh. But the Raiders are not without holes, and indeed...take a look at the NEEDS list above. FS, SS, CB. For the uninitiated, that's the entire defensive backfield. With Charles Woodson retiring, the only safeties of merit on the roster are the recently re-signed Nate Allen and Taylor Mays. Yes, that Taylor Mays who has shown an utter inability to play in the NFL ever since Mike Singletary pounded the table and got him drafted by the 49ers in the second round back an eon ago. Undoubtedly, the team is going to try and do some things in free agency, but pickings are slim there. At cornerback, it might even be WORSE. The experiment of DJ Hayden, who seems like a great person and a bad player, may be coming to an end. Somebody named TJ Carrie plays on the other side, but getting a legit cornerback is of utmost importance.
And even though we're just at the 14th pick of the draft, we're very much in the "if only [PLAYER] hadn't been taken, he'd be perfect here." Here are some names (aside from the top-five guys who everybody would take) I'd have thought very much about for the Raiders:
Vernon Hargreaves III
Mackensie Alexander
Ezekiel Elliott
Jack Conklin
I've seen these guys all go to the Raiders in various mock drafts, but I have them all going already. (Mackensie Alexander is, by far, the most likely to not only actually be available but potentially be the pick here. In my next draft that well may happen.)
Why Ezekiel Elliott, you ask? Latavius Murray is a decent RB, but he's not a world-beater. Pairing him with Zeke Elliott would be huge for QB Derek Carr, but it's not to be - and it's far too early for Derrick Henry. The best OG in the draft is Cody Whitehair, but again...it's a bit early. (That said, this is right about where the Cowboys took Zack Martin and that's worked out very well. It could be a smart move.)
At this point, it feels like almost any pick is going to be considered a "reach," so smart draft strategy evaluates position scarcity. The safeties are likely to be there in the second round, and the same can be said for most all positions -- but the guy who is sitting out there and just feels like a Raider is too hard to pass up on.
If you're the Raiders, what do you do?
THE PICK: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
Apple (first of all, I love the name) has prototypical CB size, at 6'1", 199 lbs., long arms and big hands. He ran a very fast 4.40 40-yard at the combine, and we know the Raiders love speed. (I also know that it's folly to rely on old Raiders behavior as this is a new and non-dysfunctional Raiders these days.)
If Apple can come in and start quickly, it takes some pressure off of Hayden who maybe can contribute as a nickel corner or at least not be assigned the WR1 on the opposing squads. The team can look at safety help in later rounds (and it will have to) and honestly could draft five defensive backs this year and not take too much heat for it. Eli Apple solves problems for this squad, and that's why he's the pick here.
Next up, the St. Louis Los Angeles Rams.