Oakland Raiders could dip into Sam Houston State talent pool again

The Oakland Raiders need players who can get after the quarterback, and they may look to Sam Houston State for another early pick in 2019.

The Oakland Raiders hosted arguably the best player in the 2019 NFL Draft on Wednesday, bringing in former Alabama star Quinnen Williams. A consensus top-5 pick in this April’s draft, Williams was the biggest name the Raiders brought in today, but he may not be the one that they select.

In addition to Williams, the Raiders also hosted Texas linebacker Gary Johnson, who is a tackling machine, and has no problem making plays in the backfield. Outside of Williams and Johnson, Oakland also dipped their toes in the small-school pool, hosting a player who could join a former teammate in the Silver and Black this season.

During the 2018 NFL Draft, Oakland selected Sam Houston State defensive lineman P.J. Hall in  the second round, a pick that came as quite a shock. However, Hall showed during his rookie season that he is going to be a solid player at this level, and is a big part of what they plan to do moving forward.

Wednesday, Oakland hosted Derick Roberson, who played with Hall in 2017, and racked up a ton of sacks this past season.

The Raiders, as a team, got to the quarterback only 13 times last season, so I could see them adding not one, but two edge rushers during the 2019 NFL Draft. They have done little to improve the group this past month, only adding Josh Mauro to a unit that only includes Arden Key, and Mauro is better known for his prowess against the run.

Mel Kiper wrote back in November that Roberson was a potential Day 2 pick, and he has backed that up with a solid draft season. The Raiders rolled the dice on a Bearkat this past April, and it would not be surprising if they come calling again in a couple of weeks.