The Raiders have decent tight ends in Jared Cook, Derek Carrier, and Lee Smith, all of whom play a different role within the offense. Cook has led the Raiders in receiving yards the last two seasons, and presents matchup problems, but is really inconsistent from week to week.
Carrier and Smith are both good blockers, and Gruden loves to have a plethora of blocking tight ends. With their seventh round pick next April, the Raiders could look to draft the tight end position, and a guy like Kendall Blanton is not only a good pass-catcher, but is also very good at blocking.
So there you have it. A quick, and early look at the Raiders 2019 NFL Draft, and who the team should target with their eight selections. The Raiders have a long way to go before they can be competitive in the AFC West, but the amount of draft capital helps, and as we have seen in the NFL, teams can bounce back in a hurry.