Oakland Raiders take no edge rushers in Mel Kiper’s NFL Mock Draft
By Brad Weiss
Mel Kiper from ESPN is one of those in the media whose NFL mock drafts get a ton of publicity, but he swung and missed with the Oakland Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders have plenty of needs when it comes to improving the roster this offseason, but one area in particular stands above them all. Last season, the Raiders finished with only 13 sacks as a team, a number that was historically bad.
When it comes time for the 2019 NFL Draft, Oakland holds three first round picks, and in a draft class loaded with edge rushers, it could not have come at a better time. They tried to replace Khalil Mack with guys like Bruce Irvin, Arden Key, and Frostee Rucker last season, but replacing a guy like Mack is nearly impossible.
Irvin ended up being released, and while Key is going to be a solid player, he was still learning in year one. In April, the Raiders hold the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, and will likely use an early selection on bolstering the pass rush.
Mel Kiper from ESPN released his first NFL mock draft for 2019 on Thursday, and he was way off base with the Raiders selections. While the team had three chances to improve the pass rush, he had them going in a different direction for all three picks, selecting a cornerback, wide receiver, and tight end.
While Oakland could certainly use some help at cornerback and wide receiver, the tight end position was a strength in 2018, though they will need to re-sign Jared Cook this offseason. It is very stunning that he would not have the team at least utilize one of their late-first round picks on the edge rusher spot, considering just how bad the team was in that department last season.
This mock was the first of many for Kiper, who is one of those members of the media who is considered a draft expert. Of course, no mock is perfect, as we have seen first rounds go out the window as early as pick No. 1 in recent years.
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The Raiders not only hold three first round picks this April, but six of the first 100 selections, so the opportunity is in front of them to really bolster this roster. They went out and signed a former draft analyst in Mike Mayock to be their general manager, and he has already proven to be a grinder, popping up at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the NFLPA Bowl practices.