Do the Oakland Raiders have a shot at drafting Nick Bosa?
By Brad Weiss
Sitting at No. 4 overall, the Oakland Raiders may not be high enough to draft Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa, but never say never when it comes to the NFL Draft.
The Oakland Raiders hold three first round picks this April, including the No. 4 overall selection in the first round. Normally, that would be high enough to get an elite player on your defense, and sometimes, the best overall defensive player in the draft.
As we have seen in recent years, quarterbacks go early in the draft, as two have been selected within the top-3 picks in three of the last four drafts. With Oakland picking at No. 4, they could be in good shape to land an elite edge rusher, and the biggest prize of all this year would be Nick Bosa from Ohio State.
If the draft plays out as being quarterback-heavy early, teams will have to trade up into the top-3. The Arizona Cardinals, picking at No. 1, appear to be in play for Kyler Murray, but after that, the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all appear to be set at the position.
Across the NFL, there are plenty of teams that could trade up into the top-3, including the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, and Denver Broncos to name a few. That would mean that the Raiders could end up getting a player like Bosa early in round one, even if they do not trade up.
Looking at team needs, San Francisco has already bolstered their pass rush this offseason, and could be in the market for Alabama’s Quinnen Williams, who many believe is the best overall player in this draft class. The Jets, picking right before Oakland at No. 3, do not need a quarterback, but are in desperate need of edge help, so them moving out of that spot is crucial.
Chips would have to fall a certain way, but Bosa to the Raiders at No. 4 is not out of the question.
However, if they cannot get Bosa, the next best edge rusher in this draft is Josh Allen, who is no slouch himself. Allen racked up 17 sacks last season for Kentucky, which is four more than the entire Raiders team collected in 2018.
Next. Re-signing Jalen Richard important for Raiders. dark
New Raiders general manager Mike Mayock has not ruled out the Raiders moving up in the draft, and with so many teams needing quarterbacks this April, a slide down to No. 4 is also not out of the question. The best part of the NFL Draft is that you just never know what is going to happen, but one thing is for sure, Bosa would look very good wearing the Silver and Black.