Ranking the Oakland Raiders Draft Needs

Running Back

Yes, Raiders running back Latavius Murray rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and was announced to his first career Pro-Bowl in 2015, but Oakland’s rushing attack will continue to put up underwhelming numbers if McKenzie fails to add a dynamic threat to the backfield.

According to NFL.com, the Oakland Raiders finished with the 28^th ranked rushing offense in terms of yards per game (91.1), tied for 24^th in rushing touchdowns (7), and tied for 21^st in yards per attempt (3.9).

At 6’3”, 230 pounds, Murray has the ideal frame for a bell-cow back in the NFL that can bully his way in between the tackles, but his running style is more comparable to a smaller, athletic back that predominately thrives in space. Also, Murray struggles with early penetration due to his lack of acceleration and quickness, for he requires a clear running lane to effectively reach his top speed.

The combination of Murray’s vision and speed still make him a viable starter in the NFL, but Oakland could more effectively mask his flaws if they made an effort to run him along the edges and bring in another back to get the job done between the tackles in a tandem role.

With the 14^th overall pick in the draft, the Oakland Raiders have previously been mocked former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot, a three-down back that can practically do it all in terms of the running back position. Elliot would thrive in a tandem role with Murray behind Oakland’s revamped offensive line. Also, Elliot is more than capable of taking on a starting role if Murray were to go down or if Oakland chooses to part ways with him after the 2016 season. Murray is playing in the final year of his contract in 2016.

With the likelihood that Elliot is off the board before the Raiders’ selection, two Day 2 prospects that could also have an impact in 2016 are Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon and Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise.

At 5’10”, 215 pounds, Dixon doesn’t have the ideal frame for the position, but he still has proven that he is capable of churning out yards between the tackles. Also, his willingness to be downhill running back that finishes every run with authority would be a good change of pace to Murray’s more elusive style.

With just one year under his belt as a starter at Notre Dame, Prosise lacks the experience necessary for him to regularly make the correct reads in the backfield, but his ability to simply make plays with the ball in his hands make him a high-risk/high-reward prospect. He will need some time to develop behind Murray, but he has big play potential that Oakland shouldn’t shy away from adding in their backfield.