Raiders 7-round Mock Draft: Trading back on Day 1 and still selecting a franchise QB
Earlier this month, Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce was on a podcast and he talked about applying the “Jordan rules” to Patrick Mahomes which is a reference to the physicality that the Detroit Pistons imposed on Michael Jordan in the 1980s. The Pistons felt they couldn’t keep the skilled Jordan from scoring at will unless they roughed him up and many feel the same about Mahomes.
Pierce's comments stirred up some controversy some of the more sensitive members of the NFL fan base and media, but it is a great insight into the type of team that he wants to build. It’s also a fairly common for NFL coaches to say about wanting to make the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket and not allow him to make plays down the field.
As we saw at the tail end of the season, Pierce wants a team that is tough and physical but disciplined as well. He wants a team that is going to punch opponents in the mouth within the limits of the rules and dominate the trenches on both sides of the ball. In order to do that, the Raiders are going to have to invest heavily in both the offensive and defensive lines but will also need to build around the perimeter as well.
With that approach in mind and with us still waiting on the results from the NFL Combine that took place this week, let's jump into the latest mock draft where we invest heavily on the big boys on offense and defense.
But first, a trade.
Trade