April is approaching and the draft is intensifying in drama already. The Raiders brass has a tall task in front of them to compete with the rest of the thriving AFC West. In this mock, there is a trade with Dallas to pick up an extra one for next year, presumably for a quarterback. So without further adieu here is my first version of a mock for the 2025 campaign.
TRADE Round 1, Pick 12-Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio State
Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly team up on this one and grab the next gifted first-round Ohio State receiver via trade. Egbuka is similar to Jakobi Meyers and wouldn't have to be the number one weapon because of Brock Bowers. Drafting an Ohio State wideout these days is as good as gold.
He played second fiddle to Jeremiah Smith and still registered number one numbers, so the transition shouldn't be steep. The concern would be who is throwing him the football. As a decision maker, you have to ask yourself do you trust Arizona or Missouri pass catchers or do you press your luck on another Buckeye wideout?
Emeka Egbuka's tape is rock solid. Great blocker, smooth route runner who creates separation. Super high floor as a prospect.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) February 3, 2025
I really think he can play outside, too. Not sure he's going to star at the X, but you can play him as a Z/slot player and be more than fine.
Want another tasty morsel about Egbuka? He has more catches than any other Buckeye ever. That may not last long with Smith there, but that is more than Cris Carter, David Boston, Michael Jenkins, Garrett Wilson and the list could go on forever. That is hard to believe.
Round 2, Pick 37-Cam Skattebo RB Arizona State
The Braden Fiske player of 2025. Everybody wants Skattebo because he is an intense throwback who is one tough s.o.b. Skattebo should have been a Heisman finalist. Without him, Arizona State doesn't make the CFP or win the Big 12.
He ambushed the Longhorns defense to the tune of 250 total yards of offense in the Peach Bowl. He saved his best for last and to me, he should be a first-rounder. He's the type of guy that every coach wants on their team because of his maximum effort. Think Maxx Crosby, but at running back.
Skattebo is the lone performer in division one with 1,000 plus yards on the ground and over 500 yards through the air. That's in the same category with Christian McCaffrey, who accomplished it at Stanford. He's basically in a class by himself. Nitpick where you can, but coaches should be salivating to coach him into an all-pro.
He's not the quickest, but neither was Marshawn Lynch. If you haven't heard of him yet, you either live under a rock or don't watch football. Once you see the tape, you will instantly fall in love with him, if you haven't already. Calling him overrated would be a lazy excuse. Skattebo can be like the next Peyton Hillis in some ways.
Round 3, Pick 68-Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
With two safeties labeled as free agents and another restricted one, Watts becomes a valuable piece added to the secondary. One of Pete Carroll's first picks was Earl Thomas and Watts can play that role for the Raiders defensive backfield if seen necessary. He's a ballhawk who is always around the ball. His college football playoff run was basically better than his entire season performance.
Watts won the Bronco Nagurski Award in 2023. He tallied the most interceptions over the last two years in Division One. He was a wide receiver when he came to Notre Dame, then flipped to linebacker, before he converted to safety. That will remind everyone of Richard Sherman, who also transitioned from a pass catcher to a cornerback.
"When he was healthy, he was the best cover corner I've ever seeen from Notre Dame football in my lifetime."
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) January 24, 2025
Safety Xavier Watts. CB Benjamin Morrison. Two ND draft prospects worth keeping an eye on for the Bengals with Al Golden. Both are positions of need for the Bengals.… pic.twitter.com/WiKxMmkDrM
Al Golden's defense ranked second in pass defense giving up 153 yards a game. Watts doesn't blitz much and is more of a roamer lining up all over the field. For what it's worth, Watts didn't allow a touchdown over the past two seasons either. Believe it or not, Watts only got penalized once during that two-year span as well.
Round 3, Pick 73-Jayden Higgins WR Iowa State
The Raiders double up on receivers and get their Davante Adams replacement with the pick they traded him for. It gives the quarterback a trio of new weapons to use for Chip Kelly's system, along with Skattebo. Higgins ranked 4th on the Pro Football Focus site for wideouts in 2024. He progressed every year in Ames and was a serious red zone threat for the Cyclones.
Since 2022 Higgins has only dropped four passes out of about 300 attempts. He played in the Senior Bowl and caught a touchdown pass from a running back. As a junior, he averaged 19 yards a catch. He won't run the fastest 40 at the combine, but he's pretty polished. Being in the Big 12 means he didn't exactly match up with the top defenses in the country for the sake of the argument.
The Raiders receiving core needs retooled and Egbuka and Higgins would do just that. He's been compared to everyone from Drake London to Xavier Hutchinson to Kenny Golladay. Most mocks have him scattered between the rounds 1-4 range. The 33rdteam.com thinks he could even slide his way into a Thursday night selection.