Raiders begin building for the future in latest 7-Round Mock

Las Vegas continues with their offensive line rebuild with their final pick

With their final pick in this year’s draft, the Raiders select a third offensive lineman. This time it’s Texas Tech center, Dawson Deaton. The team has Andre James, who mostly had an underwhelming season but came on strong in the end. Sure, it was a solid outing in the final stretch, but by no means should the Raiders refrain from adding depth and some competition.

At six-foot-six, 310 pounds, Deaton has the physical tools needed to at least attempt an NFL career as center. He took 677 snaps in his senior year, posting a solid 72.6 PFF pass-blocking grade, a solid foundation considering the Raiders need help with pass protection.

Another side note about Deaton’s size: he has the movement and strength to possibly be moved around. That gives him more of a chance to succeed if he’s unable to transition to the center slot as a professional.

Raiders need to commit to Derek Carr long-term or move on

The Las Vegas Raiders must decide whether or not they should extend Derek Carr for the long-term or move on from him at this point.

Coming from a Texas Tech offense that was pass-happy, he’ll need polishing in the run game. One more positive for Deaton is his length and frame, which allowed him to be an effective blocker as he easily picked up incoming defenders.