Examining the Oakland Raiders options at inside linebacker on Day 2 and Day 3 of the 2016 NFL Draft.
With Reggie Ragland and Myles Jack being the only two inside linebacker worth taking in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders should look into some possible Day 2 or even Day 3 options in order to effectively fill their need at the position.
Jack is one of the top players in this year’s class, as he is one of the few linebackers capable of succeeding on all three downs, but he likely won’t fall outside of the top ten. Unless the Raiders make a trade up in the draft, Jack falling to No. 14 is much more of a dream than a reality.
Though Oakland could very likely have an opportunity to take him at No. 14, Ragland, a two-year starter with the Crimson Tide, may be a bit of a reach that early in the draft due to his lack of athleticism and inability to have success in coverage on passing downs. When comparing NFL.com’s six current mock drafts, Ragland’s average draft position sits somewhere between No. 16 and No. 17.
The Raiders could afford to invest a high draft pick in a two-down run stuffer like Ragland because 2015 fifth-round pick Ben Heeney, an athletic linebacker with great range, has proven in his limited experience that he has upside as a coverage linebacker in the NFL. With Heeney capable of taking over at inside linebacker on passing downs in nickel packages, the Raiders could look at the other Ragland-type options later in the draft.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some inside linebackers that could be available to the Raiders after round one.