2021 NFL Draft: Patrick Surtain II is a player worth the Raiders trading up for
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 17 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but if Patrick Surtain II falls out of the top-10, he may be worth trading up for.
During the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders made Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette a first-round pick, which was a head-scratcher for most. Arnette was seen as a Day 2 selection by most media experts, but the cornerback spot was a significant need for the Raiders, and the coaching staff loved him.
As a rookie, Arnette struggled in a big way, both in him being injured, and him being inconsistent once he got on the field. Expected to come in and be the starter alongside Trayvon Mullen, Arnette was more of an afterthought when all was said and done and has a lot of work to do as he enters Year 2 of his NFL career.
With cornerback still very much up in the air, it would not be shocking if the Raiders decided to roll the dice on another cornerback in round one this April. To get the playmaker they need at the position, they will likely have to trade up, and one player worth doing that for is Patrick Surtain II.
Raiders should trade up for Patrick Surtain II
When it comes to the cornerbacks in this draft class, you have to believe that Surtain is the most NFL-ready as a bunch. Especially with Caleb Farley needing a back procedure, and Jaycee Horn as one of the few legitimate first-round talents seen more as a back-half of the first-round guy, Surtain would have to be selected earlier than the Raiders current slot at No. 17.
That means that Las Vegas would need to trade up to get him, and based on what I have seen on tape, and his pedigree, he would be well worth whatever assets needed to go up and get him.
Of course, there are going to be as many as five quarterbacks taken before the Raiders pick, and some teams ahead of them need help at wide receiver and offensive line. Surtain could fall outside of the top-10, but it is unlikely, as the Dallas Cowboys pick at No. 10, and they need a cornerback badly as well.
Next. Las Vegas Raiders should add Jason McCourty at cornerback. dark
Greg Newsome II is another solid first-round talent at cornerback, and he will likely be there at No. 17, but there is a big dropoff between him and Surtain. If the Raiders like Surtain, why not try and move up to get him, and with him aboard, Mullen could actually be the CB2, with Surtain becoming their CB1 right out of the gate.