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

During his time at Westover Comprehensive (GA) High School, Trenton Thompson was the best high school player in the country. USA Today named him the All-USA Defensive Player of the Year, and he decided to stay in-state to play for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Drawing comparisons to Ndamunkong Suh, the expectations were huge for him entering college, though he never had the impact most expected. Still, he has the size and strength to be a dominant player at the NFL level, and will benefit from the kind of learning he will receive if he joins the Oakland Raiders.

New defensive coorindator Paul Guenther will love a player like Thompson, because he can really draw attention on the inside. That would enable him to wreck havoc with Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin, if they decide to bring Irvin back next season.

Thompson dealt with an MCL sprain during the 2017 season, and that likely led to the fact that he did not record a single sack. Still, he is one of those players who is good against the run and the pass, and at 6-foot-4, 288 pounds, could really clog up the middle on defense.

While he never became the All-American player many expected him to be at Georgia, that does not mean that his future in the NFL will be the same. He has everything you look for in a dominant interior defensive lineman, and should be available in the third or fourth round.