Just Blog Baby staff’s dueling Las Vegas Raiders 7-round mock draft

Kenny King Jr.’s Final Raiders 7-round Mock Draft

In a draft that is loaded at wide receiver, it is hard to make a bad pick sitting at No. 12 overall. I took CeeDee Lamb because he is the perfect mix for Jon Gruden’s offense, as he has good speed, excellent route running and good hands. The Raiders are looking for a true WR1 for Derek Carr and Lamb is the answer to the Raiders needs.

The Raiders historically haven’t had much success drafting corners in the first round aside from Charles Woodson and Nnamdi Asomugha. There are a few cornerbacks in this draft who have first round talent, and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson is one of them. Johnson has explosive speed, flexible hips and solid ball skills to match his physical style of play. Johnson would be a solid CB2 across from Trayvon Mullen.

General Manager Mike Mayock has made it clear that a major need for the Raiders this season is wide receiver, and I expect them to double dip with the amount of talent that is out there. Tee Higgins is a player that brings a clear red zone threat. At 6’4″ 215 lbs, Higgins strengths are making plays on the 50/50 balls and with his large frame he makes for a viable target where the Raiders struggled most last season, inside the 20 yard line.

Running back Josh Jacobs had an impressive rookie campaign, and what’s more impressive is that he did it while playing half the season with a fractured shoulder. While durability isn’t much of a concern for Jacobs, preservation is. Adding Zack Moss allows Gruden to run the running back committee that he has grown accustomed to, with a thunder and lightning attack with the flash and strength of Jacobs and the power of Moss, the Raiders can successfully control the game on the ground.

The Raiders were active in free agency at linebacker, adding Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski successfully addressing the linebacker position which has been neglected for nearly two decades. I expect the Raiders to double down on those additions by bringing in more talent in the draft. Troy Dye brings the speed and athleticism that the Raiders need to compete in the AFC West, and his coverage skills against tight ends will serve valuable. While Dye’s size is average, he will need to work on his strength as he has had difficulties facing interior linemen.

While the Raiders added more depth in the defensive backfield, it is always best to over prepare in case of injury. Adding Julian Blackmon does just that at safety, Blackmon’s strengths are areas of weakness that the team had in 2019. Blackmon is a solid tackler and plays well when in deep zone. Where Blackmon lacks in one on one coverage ability, he makes up for it in physicality and hustle.

Shaquille Quarterman is a throwback style linebacker, big, physical and strong. Quarterman excels against the run and would be more of a situational player as his coverage skills are less than ideal. I see Quarterman’s style appealing to Paul Guenther, because he plays similarly to Vontaze Burfict minus the personal fouls.