Sports Illustrated: Jenny Vrentas
- #12 – Jerry Jeudy, Wide Reciever, Alabama
- #21 (trade with Philadelphia Eagles) Jaylon Johnson, Cornerback, Utah
We’ve finally arrived at a mock draft (courtesy of SI’s Jenny Vrentas) that has the Raiders addressing their receiver need. And this time Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy is the pick.
"“Evaluators are split on which receiver they like better: Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb. We’ll give the nod here to Jeudy, an exceptional route-runner who fills the void the Raiders have had since they ended the Antonio Brown saga last summer.”"
Jeudy’s route running is indeed elite and would no doubt be an asset to Gruden’s offense. He also has the speed to win down the field and can make plays after the catch. The concerns analysts seem to have with Jeudy is his size and ability to consistently win against press coverage. He did most of his work in the slot at Alabama, so it is unknown if he will consistently win as an outside receiver. He also has a few concentration drops.
Later in the first, Vrentas, has the Raiders moving a few picks back with the Philadelphia Eagles then selecting Utah’s Jaylon Johnson at pick 21.
"“The Raiders missed on Byron Jones and their deal with Eli Apple fell through, so look for them to address cornerback with one of their two first-round picks.”"
Johnson made some news last week on the Stick to Football podcast when he said he had “a hunch” the Raiders would be the team to take him.
Johnson is a physical corner with good ball skills and plays with an aggressive mentality that Gruden and Mayock would surely love. He isn’t the quickest or the most athletic, but his ability to win at the line of scrimmage is what the Raiders need.