Oakland Raiders: Edge Rusher Options Outside of Round 1

Breaking down the Oakland Raiders best options at edge rusher outside of the first round in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Though there are several top-tier edge-rushers projected to go in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders must prepare to address other needs if their guy is already off the board. As they continue to push towards a postseason birth, the Raiders cannot afford to reach for a position of need early in the draft; therefore, Oakland could look to address their need at edge-rusher outside of the first round if there isn’t a valuable option at No. 14 overall.

With Khalil Mack terrorizing quarterbacks at an alarming rate so early in his career, the Oakland Raiders’ need for an edge-rusher can be overlooked, but adding another player to set the edge opposite him would have a significantly positive effect on Ken Norton Jr.’s defense. In addition to pulling some double teams away from Mack, a starting caliber edge-rusher would improve the Raiders’ ability to defend the run on the outside.

Former Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson and Georgia’s Leonard Floyd are two edge-rushers that could make sense for Oakland at No. 14, but there is no guarantee that either of the two are there. Also, the concerns surrounding Lawson’s lack of athleticism and Floyd’s overall raw technique could push Oakland to look into some of the tier-two edge-rushers because the disparity between the two groups isn’t too significant.

With that being said, here are five edge-rushers that should be available on Day 2 and 3 of the NFL draft, all of whom could have a substantial impact in 2016.