Montez Sweat could fall to Oakland Raiders late in first round

The Oakland Raiders would find an absolute gem if Montez Sweat fell to them late in the first round during the 2019 NFL Draft.

This Thursday, the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft will kick off, and the Oakland Raiders will be front and center. Holding three first round picks, and with plenty of holes to fill, the Raiders are i play to do a number of different things within the first 27 picks.

On name that rocketed up draft boards after a freakishly good NFL combine was Montez Sweat, a dominating pass rusher from Mississippi State. Sweat performed well on the field, but test revealed a heart issue, which could have teams afraid to draft him early in the first round on Thursday.

Sweat had originally told the NFL that he would be attending the draft, located in Nashville, Tennessee, but he will instead watch with his family at home in Georgia. That could be a sign that he has been told he may slip in the first round, and with two late first round picks, the Raiders could be waiting.

Sitting at No. 4, mock draft have had the Raiders taking a bunch of prospects, but the favorites have been Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen, and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The need for an edge rusher is huge for Oakland, and Allen had 17 sacks last season, which is four more than the Raiders had as a team.

On the other hand, people view Williams as the best overall player in this entire draft class, and it appears Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden will be out to get the best players available. Even though Oakland has talent, and even young talent at defensive tackle, Williams is not out of play.

The Raiders have proven to be unafraid of going after a prospect with a heart issue before, as they selected Maurice Hurst from Michigan in the fifth round in 2018. Hurst was rated as a first round talent by plenty of experts heading into that draft, and if Sweat does fall, expect the Raiders to be in play late in the first, or even later.