All of the steam from various mock drafts proved true on Thursday night, as the Las Vegas Raiders landed Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick. Head coach Pete Carroll now has his workhorse back, cut directly from the Marshawn Lynch cloth.
The Raiders have another opportunity to fill the holes in their roster on Day 2 of the event, and Las Vegas has a pick in both the second and third rounds. With running back now firmly etched off the list of needs, we took a stab at predicting who the Silver and Black will choose on Friday.
Raiders add more elite talent in Day 2 mock draft
No. 37: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Las Vegas desperately needs another wide receiver to supplement Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, and fortunately, the options in the middle rounds are plentiful. While Ole Miss' Tre Harris and Stanford's Eli Ayomanor are both intriguing options, Iowa State's Jayden Higgins should be the pick for the Raiders.
He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 214 pounds, boasting an 80-inch wingspan that makes him the ideal "X' receiver that so many teams covet. However, between his versatility in playing on both the inside and outside, and his 4.47-second 40-yard dash speed, he should not be pigeonholed into just that role.
While some argue that he does not always play true to his size and lacks contested catch ability, his A.J. Green-like frame is something that a coach simply cannot teach. His overall skill set is immaculate, and if he can figure out how to utilize his body, he could be a dangerous player for the Silver and Black.
No. 68: Demetrius Knight, LB, South Carolina
The Raiders lost both Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo in free agency, replacing them with Elandon Roberts and Devin White. While Las Vegas did add value at the position, this offseason was a net downgrade, and linebacker stands as a long-term need.
Enter Demetrius Knight, who had a quintessential COVID-era college journey. After spending four seasons at Georgia Tech, Knight transferred to Charlotte, where he recorded 96 total tackles, including six for a loss, as well as 1.5 sacks and three interceptions. After his lone campaign at Charlotte, he was on the move again, this time to South Carolina. In his final college season, he totaled 82 tackles, including eight for a loss, as well as 2.0 sacks and an interception.
In describing Knight, who is 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team said that Knight is, "twitched up like a modern-day safety." Lance Zierlein of NFL.com also compared Knight to Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt, noting his, "great size, good instincts and a feel for how to play the position."
Knight sounds like a Pete Carroll kind of player, making him a valuable addition in the third round.