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Raiders reload for another playoff run with this 2022 7-Round Mock

By Mario O. Tovar

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Oakland Raiders during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Oakland Raiders during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 20: John Ridgeway #99 of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts after sacking Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 20, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 20: John Ridgeway #99 of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts after sacking Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 20, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Raiders did a solid job last offseason when they reloaded the defensive line via free agency. However, at some point, Las Vegas needs to invest some draft capital in the defensive line’s interior. The edges are set with their starters, Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, but the inside has been platooned by several veterans, including Quinton Jefferson, Johnathan Hankins, and Darius Philon.

While they’ve been serviceable, if John Ridgeway is available in the fourth round, the Raiders should make him the pick.

Ridgeway stands at six-foot-six and weighs in at 320 pounds, giving him a prototypical frame for a defensive tackle. At Arkansas, he was a disruptive force, totaling 39 total tackles and two sacks, but more importantly, he amassed four tackles for a loss in 2021.

Watching him play, you can tell he has solid strength and possesses strong hands. He also has a decent burst off the line and has shown he can get in the backfield and disrupt the passing game. As a possible fourth-round selection, the Raiders would get nice value here.

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