Oakland Raiders: 15 defensive players to target in the first round in 2019
By Brad Weiss
The Holy Grail of the 2019 NFL Draft is Nick Bosa, who is the elite pass rusher in this year’s draft class. Bosa saw his 2018 season come to an end early due to an injury, and instead of trying to come back and help Ohio State win a national title, he has instead decided to focus on next year’s draft, which is music to the ears of those drafting high in the first round next April.
With the Raiders trading away Khalil Mack this past September, there is a gaping hole in their pass rush coming from the edge. While Arden Key is going to be a good player, he is not there yet, and adding a young stud like Bosa to the other side of the line would give the Raiders two very good, very young pass rushers.
Maurice Hurst and PJ Hall have proven they can play at the NFL level, and adding Bosa to that group would give the Raiders a young defensive line that could be a dominant force as soon as 2019. Bosa is a special talent, and is by far the best prospect this draft class has to offer, but the question is whether the Raiders will be bad enough this year to get him.