The Las Vegas Raiders had a very busy first week of free agency and addressed many positional needs and this latest mock draft reflects their change in priorities.
The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the busier teams in free agency but not on day one where the usual big splash deals take place. Teams like the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars that had tons of cap space were among the big players early in the week but the Raiders made most of their additions in the middle and end of the week.
This reflects a shift in approach as the Raiders were big spenders in 2020 adding the likes of Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Carl Nassib almost immediately after the free agency tampering period started. Last year, the Raiders had much more cap space going into the offseason and could afford to splurge a bit but this year some corresponding moves had to be made.
In terms of needs, the Raiders were able to address several of them including defensive line and interior offensive line but they have still some big needs at right tackle, free safety, and depth in the defensive backfield. They may not have to reach to fill those needs however as they still have some money to spend in free agency and can free up even more by releasing the likes of Marcus Mariota or other veteran players.
Let’s dive into this mock draft with some new needs and holes to fill along the Raiders roster.
Las Vegas Raiders: 7-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft after first free agency wave
Micah Parsons is a bit of an enigma as a player as he initially was a defensive end at Penn State before he switched full time to linebacker before his first game in 2018. He was a solid player as a freshman, racking up 82 tackles and 1.5 sacks but exploded as a sophomore with 109 tackles, five passes defended, five sacks, and four forced fumbles.
He was all over the field for the Nittany Lions and could have been one of the top linebackers selected after his sophomore season but of course, had one more year before being eligible for the draft. Due to COVID-19, Parsons chose to opt-out of the 2020 season and decided to stick with that decision even after the Big 10 announced it would play a shortened season.
This decision saved some wear and tear on Parsons’ body and could be the right decision for him in the long term as it did not hurt his draft stock. Parsons measures in at 6’3″, 245lbs and is expected to test off the charts in Penn State’s pro day on March 25. He is a bit inexperienced in coverage which could be a short-term problem that the Raiders will hope to address but with their current trio, they could bring him along slowly.
Parsons would certainly be a pick for the future but he has the athleticism and talent to make a splash right away whenever he is on the field. Linebacker is not exactly a position of need but the Raiders can take a swing at the best player available and if Parsons is there at 17 they should snatch him and his massive potential up.
With the 48th pick in the NFL Draft, we have the Raiders selecting their right tackle of the future and perhaps even the present. The Raiders traded Trent Brown to New England and though Denzelle Good can play tackle, they still have a need there that will need to be filled and Cosmi may be just the man to do it.
Cosmi already had scouts interested with his size at 6’7″, 309lbs but his athleticism is what really caught their eye. His recent pro day reinforced that opinion of him as one of the most athletic linemen in the draft as he ran a 4.85 40 yard dash, jumped 10 feet in his broad jump and 30 inches in his vertical jump, and even put up 36 reps on the bench press.
These eye-popping numbers put Cosmi in the 92nd percentile for his speed and agility drills and have put him in the conversation as a potential first-rounder. The Raiders may need to use their 17th pick on Cosmi if they have him at the top of their draft board and if he falls all the way to 48 they would be foolish not to select him.
In Cosmi, they have a player who looks NFL-ready even if he may need to fill out a bit to be a full-time starter. They may still opt to sign a right tackle in free agency to hold down the fort until Cosmi is ready but he could plug in at swing tackle straight away.
The Raiders are picking back to back in the third round for the second year in a row and we will be hoping for better results this time around after they shipped away Lynn Bowden and Bryan Edwards did not contribute much to the offense. With the 79th pick, we have the Raiders selected versatile offensive lineman Trey Smith from the University of Tennessee.
Smith is a four-year starter at Tennessee who played both right guards and left tackle in his first two seasons before missing some time after the team discovered blood clots in his lungs. He returned with a clean bill of health for his junior year and started the remainder of his career at left guard. The massive guard, listed at 6’6″, 335lbs, was named All-SEC Second Team as a true freshman and earned All-SEC First Team honors in 2019 and 2020.
The Raiders currently have Richie Incognito, Denzelle Good, and John Simpson on the roster and two of those three will likely start at the guard position unless the Raiders see Good as the current right tackle. Either way, Good is under contract for two seasons and Incognito is nearly 40 years old with a recent injury history so a contingency plan is needed.
Bringing in Smith would help shore up the offensive line on the cheap but there are concerns about the blood clots becoming a reoccurring issue for him. If the Raiders can clear him medically this would be a safe and solid pick to help keep the offensive line as one of the strengths of the team.
With the 80th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders go back to addressing needs on defense by selecting safety James Wiggins from the University of Cincinnati. Wiggins is a two-year starter with the Bearcats who redshirted in 2016, played sparingly in 2017, and then became a starter in his redshirt sophomore season in 2018 where he was named Second-Team All-AAC.
His career took a pause in 2019 after he tore his ACL but came back strong in 2020 with 32 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, an interception, and 6 passes defended in 9 games. Wiggins was named First Team All-AAC for his efforts and was named to The Athletic’s First-Team All-American list. The senior was unable to build on his resume in the Peach Bowl against Georgia due to a calf injury but there is plenty of tape already out there.
Wiggins has good size at 6’0″, 205lbs, and can reportedly run his 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds while putting up 18 reps on the bench press. We will have to wait until April to see his full numbers from his pro day but Wiggins looks to measure well across the board.
It is unlikely that the Raiders will plug him at free safety right away as they are reportedly looking for help at that position in free agency. The long-term plan would be to have Wiggins as the eventual starter but there will need to be a bridge player on the roster until he gets comfortable.
With the 121st pick in the NFL Draft, the Raiders select a talented edge rusher in Jonathon Cooper out of Ohio State. Cooper is a fifth-year senior who was one of the leaders on several talented Ohio State teams and played well in the shadow of some incredibly talented players like Chase Young and Nick Bosa.
Cooper measures in at 6’4″, 257lbs and projects primarily as a designated pass rusher at the NFL level. He may not have the size or athleticism to be an every-down starter but he can be an impact player in obvious passing situations.
The Raiders suddenly have a glut at defensive line after signing the likes of Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas but there is always room for a pass-rushing specialist on the roster. Cooper will need to fill out a bit but he could be another diamond in the rough similar to Maxx Crosby who went from fourth-round pick to week one starter.
The consensus on Cooper seems to be that he is not the most athletic or most explosive but he has excellent technique, great hands, and is a skilled pass rusher that could make a difference at the pro level. The Raiders may choose to ignore the defensive line after adding so many players in free agency but a fourth-round swing at a player with a great motor like Cooper could be a great value.
With the 162nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, we have the Las Vegas Raiders selecting cornerback Tre Brown from the University of Oklahoma. Brown has been an outside cornerback for his entire career with the Sooners and has plenty of experience having played in 51 games in 4 years.
The Tulsa native became a starter after his freshman season and has been a productive player as he racked up 141 tackles, 31 passes defended, 2 sacks, and 4 interceptions. He is a bit undersized at 5’10”,186lbs, and may not be cut out to be a starter on the outside but he can transition to being a nickel or slot cornerback.
Scouting reports suggest that he is not afraid of mixing things up and can play bigger than his size at the line of scrimmage. His speed may be his best asset however as he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and could contribute immediately as a special teams ace.
This is a similar story to what the Raiders may have had in mind when they selected Amik Robertson in the 2020 draft and they can bring Brown along slowly. Defensive back has long been a concern for the Raiders, especially the depth at that position group, and Brown could help fill that need.
The Las Vegas Raiders lost a key receiver in Nelson Agholor this offseason and replaced him with John Brown but there is still a need for depth at that position. So with the 167th pick of the 2021 Draft, we have the Raiders selecting Dax Milne from Brigham Young University.
Milne was a rotational player until his final season at BYU where he put up 70 catches for 1,188 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games. He boasted a great yard per reception average of 17.0 and had 6 games with over 100 yards receiving including a 184-yard outburst against Houston.
The junior receiver has solid size at 6’0″, 190lbs, and had enough speed to be one of the top deep threats in the nation. Milne is known for his precise route running and ability to always get open but his measurables may make him a day 3 pick which sounds a lot like Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow.
The former BYU Cougar will have a chance to showcase his athleticism in his pro day on March 26 but he may be a player that is at his best on the field in pads and a helmet. Milne could contribute immediately to the Raiders on special teams and could push for the sixth wide receiver spot come Week 1.
Rounding out the 2021 NFL Draft, we have the Raiders selecting Patrick Johnson with the 200th overall pick. The Raiders don’t currently have a seventh-round pick but do have 8 selections in the first 6 rounds and they use their final one to take a chance on a productive player that has a versatile skill set.
Johnson is a three-year starter at Tulane who measures in at 6’3″, 255lbs, and has had a very productive college career. He has racked up 136 tackles, 11 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, and an eye-popping 24.5 sacks in just 34 games.
Tulane played Johnson all over the defensive front at linebacker, on the edge as a pass rusher, and even at interior defensive line. His best fit in the NFL is most likely as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme which does not make him a perfect fit for the Raiders and Gus Bradley’s 4-3 scheme but his versatility and production make him an intriguing player nonetheless.
Johnson has plenty of individual awards as a two-time all-conference player in the AAC and was one of the best edge rushers in the conference. His body type and lack of elite athleticism may be what keeps him on the board for so long but he is a player you can take a chance on to see what he develops into.