The Las Vegas Raiders hold two first round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and they could very well use both selections on the defense.
The Oakland Raiders ranked in the bottom half of the league in just about every category on defense in 2019, so why wouldn’t the the team go all defense in the first round? Holding both the No. 12 and 19 overall picks in the first round, Las Vegas has the draft capital to bring in two instant difference makers this April.
The saying “defense wins championships” may be a bit outdated in today’s NFL, but having a solid defense is still necessary. Most mock drafts expect the Raiders to use their first pick in the draft on a wide receiver, but there is more than enough evidence from last season to show that that would be a mistake.
The Raiders have too many holes on defense to ignore, and if the Raiders do not address those issues, they will struggle again in 2020. Remember, this is a team that has to play Patrick Mahomes twice a season, and if they do not get better on the defensive side of the ball, they will be at his mercy for as long as he is wearing the Kansas City Chiefs uniform.
Let’s take a look at five reasons the Raiders should go all defense in the first round.