Unfortunately, the top pass rushers were off the board by the time the Raiders picked in this mock draft, so we chose to address the linebacker position instead. The Raiders addressed this position heavily in the offseason, bringing in Nick Kwiatkowski and Cory Littleton, which has led to mixed results
Kwiatkowski has been a valuable player when on the field, but Littleton has been one of the bigger disappoints of the season. He was labeled the Raiders’ worst offseason decision in a Bleacher Report article done by Brad Gagnon.
The Raiders can’t really afford to just move on from Littleton, but they also aren’t in a position where they can just wait to see if he improves. This defense needs playmakers in the worst way, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would provide that.
He is a bit undersized at only 220 pounds, but he is incredibly athletic and quick twitch. On top of that, he is a very smart player and would provide many of the coverage traits that the Raiders thought Littleton would provide. And even if Littleton does improve, Owusu-Koramoah is athletic enough to stay on the field and allow the Raiders to comfortably play three linebackers, even on obvious passing downs.