Raiders 2018 NFL Draft: 5 DTs to target after the first round

While the Raiders may draft a defensive tackle in the first round, here are five options if they go another route later on in the draft.

The Oakland Raiders have the tenth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, after finishing the 2017 season with a 6-10 record. On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders need to bring in talent, and there are few bigger holes than defensive tackle.

If the Raiders do decide to draft a player like Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith in the first round, they have to turn their attention to defensive tackle immediately after that. While guys like Washington’s Vita Vea, Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne, and Michigan’s Maurice Hurst are likely to be picked in the first round, there are some solid players the Raiders could target after that.

In 2018, the Raiders have to be better on defense, and luckily for the organization, a lot of holes can be filled with this very deep draft class. Quarterback Derek Carr should move the team in the right direction playing under new head coach Jon Gruden, so the team may want to spend their first three picks getting better on defense.

We will dive into some linebackers the team could go after if they decide to bring in a Vea, Hurst, or Payne in the first round, but for now, let us focus on five players the team could add after the first round. The excitement heading into the 2018 NFL Draft is only going to get more intense in the coming weeks, as Raider Nation cannot wait until it kicks off on April 26.

Here are five defensive tackles the Raiders could target after the first round.