2022 3-round NFL Mock Draft: Raiders look to Georgia for help

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Jan 10, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) is pressured by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quay Walker (7) and defensive lineman Travon Walker (44) in the first quarter during the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Bickel-USA TODAY Sports /

2022 3-round NFL Mock Draft: Raiders look to Georgia for help

814. . Defensive Lineman. Bulldogs . Travon Walker. 22. player

The fact is that the Raiders can’t afford to go with another right tackle at 22. Derek Carr’s window of trying to win a championship in the next two years demands an instant upgrade. If the team’s brain trust signs one via free agency, they give themselves the chance to draft the best defensive player available, which by then will be Travon Walker.

I can hear Raider Nation groaning already, but if the right tackle situation is addressed correctly, going with Walker makes too much sense, as the defensive line will look different in 2022. Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue aren’t going anywhere, but reinforcements will be needed in the interior. Walker isn’t your traditional inside lineman, but his versatility is spectacular.

Walker is seen as a top 10 talent by several observers, and if he falls to 22, the Raiders cannot afford to let a talent like that slip through their fingers. Long term, the possibility exists that Ngakoue might not be the best fit for Patrick Graham’s defensive mold. Walker, on the other hand, is an explosive pass rusher off the edge and along the interior.

Walker could easily be moved around in Graham’s defense, making the most of his first step and speed off the line of scrimmage.

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