Las Vegas Raiders: One draft prospect to target from each top-25 program

Las Vegas Raiders: One draft prospect to target from each top-25 program

Despite Oklahoma having pretty mediocre to bad defenses over the past few seasons, they always seem to have some solid prospects in the draft. If the Raiders are looking to get some legit speed off the edge, Ronnie Perkins is certainly worth looking on day two of the draft. Perkins really came into his own in 2020, getting consistent pressure on the quarterback and helping turn the Sooners into a very respectable defense by season’s end.

Perkins has what almost all teams are looking for in their pass rushers, which is explosiveness off the snap and turn the corner on tackles. It helps that he is only 245 pounds, but he’s not a weak player by any means and can actually convert his speed to power quite well. Now his size does show up when he faces tackles with powerful hands, so asking him to be an every-down player at this stage may be a lot to ask.

Starting him off as a pass rush specialist might be ideal, but for Las Vegas, that is exactly what they need. A player who has the ability to collapse the pocket quickly and displays a level of explosiveness that simply isn’t on the roster right now.

Not be relied on as an every-down player from the start will also allow Perkins to develop more counter as a pass rusher. His projection has been anywhere from the middle of round 2 or round 3, so the Raiders very likely have a chance at him if they want.