Round 1 Pick 27: AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Original Pick: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
Johnathan Abram is one of those players that everyone loves. From his playstyle to his personality, I am beyond happy that Abram is a Raider. With that being said, the Raiders have a couple of solid safeties in Karl Joseph and Erik Harris, and I fear that Abram could continue to have injury problems throughout his career, as his playstyle is similar to that of former Colts’ safety Bob Sanders.
On the other hand, AJ Brown would be a great addition to the Raiders offense, giving Derek Carr a WR1 to go along with an already young and talented list of rookies. Brown was another candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, recording 52 receptions for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns, as he helped lead the Tennessee Titans to the AFC Championship Game.
This change may be controversial, but finding a WR1 now will give the Raiders opportunities to draft a safety later. Remember, this was a draft class with some solid safety candidates after the first one, and after seeing Brown as a rookie, he would have have been tough to pass on at No. 27 overall.