2021 NFL Draft: Las Vegas Raiders can wait to No. 48 for an OT
By Brad Weiss
Why the Raiders can wait to No. 48
Looking at this draft class, we all know the big names, as guys like Penei Sewell, Christian Darrisaw, and Rashawn Slater should be the first three offensive tackles off the board. Sewell is considered a top-5 pick, and Slater has done nothing but improve his draft stock this draft cycle, with Darrisaw having the talent to start right away as well.
Then there is the second group, guys like Teven Jenkins, Samuel Cosmi, and Liam Eichenberg, all players who have been mocked either at the end of the first round or early in the second. Outside of them, players like Jalen Mayfield, Alex Leatherwood, and Dylan Radunz also have the talent to start right away, meaning the Raiders should be able to get a Day 1 starter even at pick No. 48.
If this were a draft class thin at the position, I would be all for the Raiders getting a tackle at No. 17, but if there is a defensive playmaker still there, I would rather them go that route. Remember, this defense was awful last season, and they have only made a few moves to improve it this offseason.
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The first round of an NFL Draft is always anybody’s guess, and who knows, maybe Slater falls to No. 17, or they can get Darrisaw there. But, if the Raiders can pick up a player like Micah Parsons, Jaycee Horn, or even Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah there, I say they go that route and come back to a tackle at No. 48.