Las Vegas Raiders: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft
Las Vegas Raiders: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft
3. Raiders draft a cornerback before a safety
If you ask most Raiders fans what the team’s two biggest needs are they will tell you they are getting an upgrade at free safety and landing an elite right tackle. While both of these needs are indeed glaring, the Raiders do also have a major need for depth at cornerback and that is why we predict they will draft a cornerback before safety in the 2021 NFL Draft.
In addition to a need for more depth at corner, there are a few other reasons why the Raiders will look to snatch up a corner, perhaps in the second or third round before they grab a safety. The return of Karl Joseph, who has been played mostly at strong safety but can transition back to free safety which he played in college, allows the Raiders to not have to reach for a safety in the first round.
Joseph will be playing in a new system under Gus Bradley but he is a veteran player who should be able to plug right in and play a position he is very familiar with on day one. Many believe that is a weak safety class with only one player, TCU’s Trevon Moehrig looking worthy of a first-round selection and even 17 may be too high of a pick to use on him. Perhaps if the Raiders trade down to the mid-20s they could snatch him up but that looks unlikely.
Next. 2021 NFL Draft: Las Vegas Raiders all-defense 3-round mock draft. dark
With many of the safety prospects looking worthy of a third-round pick or lower, the Raiders can take advantage of a strong and deep cornerback class to build up that position. The Raiders have used several early-round picks on cornerbacks in recent history with mixed results but in this pass-happy era of the NFL, you can never have enough talented corners on your defense.