The Las Vegas Raiders certainly have their needs on the defensive side of the ball, and it does not matter what level of the defense we are talking about. They struggled to get a pass rush last season, mustering only 21 as a team, and their linebacker play was underwhelming for what seems to be the 1000th year in a row.
In the secondary, the youth did not serve them well, as Johnathan Abram looked atrocious sometimes, and first-round pick Damon Arnette has a long way to go. Sure, Abram has the talent to be a special player down the line, and Arnette was only a rookie, but outside of Trayvon Mullen, who can you really be excited about at this point in the defensive backfield.
We have not seen much of some fourth-round picks in the last two years, as Isaiah Johnson and Amik Robertson need to get more playing time before they can be properly assessed. Luckily, Gus Bradley is outstanding at working with defensive backs, and the hope is that he can get the most out of a lot of young draft picks.
Heading into this year’s draft, the Raiders must avoid swinging and missing once again in the first round on a defensive back.