Matt Lorsch: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Why I Like This Pick: After turning in a promising yet disappointing 7-9 season (only the third season of less than 10 losses since the 2002 Super Bowl run), the Raiders will be selecting just before the middle of the first round. This will be – barring some sort of trade – the lowest first pick of the draft since 2012, when the Raiders first pick was at the top of the second round (Al Davis had shipped away their first round pick in the Richard Seymour trade).
In 2013, the Raiders traded back to select #12 overall, taking the disappointing DJ Hayden, who had top 10 potential before a major injury his final year at Houston. This year, my wish is that they make a similar move on a player who shouldn’t disappoint nearly as much and select UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, who is perhaps the most talented football player in the draft, will almost definitely slip out of the top 10 due to concerns over some problems in his knee.
I may be a bit of a homer, being married to a UCLA grad, but I’ve also had the chance to see Myles Jack in action multiple times and I think me and hundreds of scouts can’t be wrong. Jack is a brilliant linebacking talent who can attack in the run game, cover in the pass game, rush the passer, and even score the odd short-yardage touchdown.