5 surprise players the Las Vegas Raiders could draft in the first round
By Nick Ellis
Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Grant Delpit’s draft stock has fallen as of late, but I still believe a team will take a risk on him earlier than expected. I do not believe safety is a great need for the Raiders, with the return of Johnathan Abram, Lamarcus Joyner‘s ability to play safety, Erik Harris who played well last season, and the addition of Jeff Heath.
On the other hand, Joyner plays corner most of the time, Abram missed his entire rookie season with an injury, and we are not sure how Heath will perform. Damarious Randall is with the Raiders as well, and will likely start, but even he had his issues in coverage last season.
If the Raiders want to select Delpit, they may trade back into the second round, but if Mayock is against taking that kind of risk and will select the player he wants, whether or not he selects them early or not, we could see the Raiders taking Delpit earlier than expected, or maybe even a different safety.