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Las Vegas Raiders: Examining the latest 2021 NFL Mock Drafts

By Jordan Alexis

LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 29: An Oakland Raiders flag is shown during the team's 2017 NFL Draft event at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on April 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. National Football League owners voted in March to approve the team's application to relocate to Las Vegas. The Raiders are expected to begin play no later than 2020 in a planned 65,000-seat domed stadium to be built in Las Vegas at a cost of about USD 1.9 billion. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 29: An Oakland Raiders flag is shown during the team's 2017 NFL Draft event at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on April 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. National Football League owners voted in March to approve the team's application to relocate to Las Vegas. The Raiders are expected to begin play no later than 2020 in a planned 65,000-seat domed stadium to be built in Las Vegas at a cost of about USD 1.9 billion. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /
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Raiders could use an edge rusher like Gregory Rousseau from Miami (FL).  (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Raiders could use an edge rusher like Gregory Rousseau from Miami (FL).  (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Jordan Reid – Draft Network

Picks: Gregory Rousseau, DE Miami & Trey Smith, OG Tennessee

We know the Draft Network for their mock draft simulator, but they’ve got some hard-working draft analysts as well. Senior analyst Jordan Reid dropped the site’s 2-round mock draft 5.1 on Tuesday and gave the Raiders some big help in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

First, he went with the other top edge rusher for Miami in this draft, Gregory Rousseau.

"“As far as ceilings go, Rousseau has one of the highest of any prospect in this draft class. The team that selects him will have to use their imagination a bit with him, though, as he’s a player that’s still not nearly the sum of his parts. Still figuring out the details and nuances of the position, in only his second season playing defensive end (2019), he recorded 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.”"

Rousseau opted out of the 2020 season, which was a blow for the Hurricanes. However, when college football fans last saw him, he was perhaps the most dominant pass rusher in the country not named Chase Young, who happened to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The only issue I see with this pick is that Rousseau is very new to the position, as he played mostly tight end and safety in high school, so there is still a good amount of development needed to get him to maximize his skill set. That isn’t necessarily an issue overall, but the Raiders really need an impact player immediately on the defensive line.

In the second round, Reid had the Raiders taking Tennessee guard Trey Smith at pick 49. Another big high school recruit (#15 overall) in the 2017 class, Smith looked like a first-round lock after his freshman season. However, doctors discovered blood clots in Smith’s lungs, which forced him to sit out his sophomore season.

Smith was able to come back his junior season but moved to left guard, which actually ended up being his new permanent position. The Raiders love a big physical lineman who will move people, and Smith fits that exact mold, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Raiders made this pick.

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