The Oakland Raiders have three first round picks later this month, and it would not surprise anybody if they used two of them on the defensive end position.
The Oakland Raiders have done a tremendous job revamping their roster this offseason, beginning with the trade for Antonio Brown, all the way through the additions in free agency. However, one position group has ominously been left alone, and it was arguably their weakest position last season.
Oakland needs to add talent to the defensive end spot, and they are likely to do so early in the 2019 NFL Draft. While rumors are swirling that the Raiders will take a quarterback early, even trading multiple picks to get to No. 1, the fact is, they should stay at No. 4 overall and get an edge rusher.
Depending what teams do to move up in round one, and who is taken before they pick, there is a legitimate chance that the Raiders could get a premier edge rusher at No. 4. If Nick Bosa ends up going to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 2, a team that filled their need at edge already this offseason, then Josh Allen from Kentucky would be a nice consolation prize.
Later in round one, guys like Clelin Ferrell, Brian Burns, and Jaylon Ferguson could be available to the Raiders, even at No. 27 overall. Remember, they will pick not only at No. 4, but also at No. 24 and 27 if they decide to keep the picks where they are, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that Oakland brings in two first round talents at defensive end later this month.
Another player who has been going to the Raiders in mock drafts has been Quinnen Williams, who many view as the best overall player in this draft. Williams is a solid player, and would be a building block on this defense, but the edge spot is a much bigger issue at this point.
Truth be told, I would not mind Williams at No. 4, and then two edge rushers later on, but it will be up to first-year general manager Mike Mayock to push the right buttons on April 25.
The good news is, there is a lot of elite talent at this position group in this draft class, so the Raiders are definitely in good shape later this month. If they can improve this position, and bring in a few more pieces, they could have quite the turnaround from one year to the next.