Raiders 3-round NFL Mock Draft: Stockpiling The Defense

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Las Vegas Raiders fan who has mixed opinions on Tom Telesco's first free agency period as the new general manager. Still, his job is to secure the future and make sure there's an established foundation that'll ensure sustained success—that's not accomplished with free agents.

Telesco will soon have his opportunity with a loaded draft class.

There are some obvious holes that the Raiders will have to address—we're talking about running back, for example. With Josh Jacobs now in Green Bay, Telesco must pick up a running mate for Zamir White; thankfully, there are several talented prospects. At the same time, there's no need to use Day 1 or 2 picks for the position. No, Telesco should put all his chips on the defense; the unit will determine how far this team goes.

Christian Wilkins was an acquisition that moved the needle; now it's time to double down. Patrick Graham's defensive line features one of the best players in the entire NFL in Maxx Crosby; you then add a solid supporting cast of Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, and Adam Butler, and the potential is there. Be that as it may, if you add another talented individual alongside Wilkins, the Raiders might end up with the best unit in all of football.

Oh, and there's the quarterback conumdrum. What if there was a way to draft a prospect to quietly develop behind Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell while loading up on defense? Anything's possible in the NFL draft.