Raiders 3-round Mock Draft: Would this be a home run haul for Tom Telesco?
By Jason Willis
Another player who blew the doors off of the combine on day one, Payton Wilson is a supremely athletic linebacker who ran an astonishing 4.43 40-yard dash to further cement his ability as a sideline-to-sideline player.
Similarly to Mitchell, Wilson has likely played himself out of this range but if available, this is an easy selection for a Raiders defense that could provide him the opportunity to adjust to the NFL behind Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo.
With his speed, he profiles as a quintessential weak side linebacker in Patrick Grahams' scheme that would add even more athletic ability to a position group that has taken a massive step forward in recent years.
Overall, Wilson is old for a prospect as he will be 24 on draft day and need refinement on his tackling technique but is the exact kind of player you love to have in the third round as a great athlete who can be a contributor right away, even as he develops his skillset.