Raiders 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Trading out of the first round, stacking picks

Linebacker is another position where the need isn’t all that pressing considering the great play of Divine Deablo and Robert Spillane last year, as well as the improvement of Luke Masterson as a backup. The concern for this position group is in depth as there were times last year when the Raiders signed street free agents and put them in the starting lineup a few days later.

So with the 223rd overall pick, we grab a talented young linebacker in Curtis Jacobs who has solid physical tools and could become a regular starter for the Raiders in the future. Jacobs measures in at 6-1 and 241lbs and had a solid performance at the combine with a broad jump and 40 time in the top 20 percent. He struggled on the bench press and three cone but there are no perfect prospects at this point in the draft.

Where Jacobs excels is as a tackler in the open field which he showed with 160 tackles over 3 years with the Nittany Lions. He also showed off some versatility as an occasional pass rusher with 10 sacks and 40 total pressures over that same span. The Raiders will need to decide if they will deploy Jacobs as an inside linebacker or ask him to put on some weight and play on the edge but either way he can bring some athleticism and versatility to the defense.