The Oakland Raiders are coming off of an impressive 24-20 Week 12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. As exciting as that victory was, it was the first win of the season for the Raiders. While their roster is somewhat interesting, at 1-10, the Raiders are far out of contention.
While their play this season has mostly been uninspiring, the Raiders actually have some interesting young players to build around. After years of terrible drafting and questionable costless agency binges, the selections of linebacker Khalil Mack and quarterback Derek Carr in the first two rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft have proven to be nice picks, at least so far.
While the consistency still lacks, in their rookie seasons, both Carr and Mack have flashed brilliance at times. Both are clearly talented players at important positions on their respective sides of the ball. If Carr and Mack can grow into their leadership positions, the Raiders will have two great players to build their team around. Linebacker Sio Moore, running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Andre Holmes are other young Raiders who have exciting upside. With a nice young roster to build around, the arrow may finally be pointing up for the Raiders.
With Week 13 of the NFL season just around the corner, it may seem too early to be looking at the 2015 NFL Draft. But try to tell that to fans of the 1-10 Raiders who have so little to look forward to in the football world until then. With a currently uncompetitive roster, it is fair to look ahead with this team. This will be an important draft for the Raiders, as they look to add more depth and exciting pieces to their roster. Here are five players for the Raiders to target in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Leonard Williams, DL, USC
With Carr’s success this season, the Raiders are very unlikely to draft a quarterback. The best non-QB prospect in the draft will be USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The Raiders are in desperate need of an improved pass rush, and Williams is one of the best pass rushers in college football. The 6-foot-5, 291 pound Williams is a versatile player with incredible athleticism and raw power. He would be a perfect fit as a defensive end in Oakland’s 3-4 defense, and would instantly make their defense a better unit.
Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
The other defensive lineman the Raiders will surely consider at the top of the draft is more of an outside pass rusher. At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Randy Gregory is an extremely long and athletic player who has an uncanny ability to rush the passer. Gregory is a bit on the small side, and could struggle with the bigger and stronger players in the NFL, but his athleticism is off the charts. He would be an odd fit for the current Raiders’ defense, but the team is likely to have a new head coach by the time of the draft anyway. Williams seems like the better (and safer) fit for the Raiders’ defensive line, but Gregory’s pure upside makes him just as intriguing.
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
The top goal for the Raiders this off-season has to be finding players to help Carr develop as a quarterback. Amari Cooper is the consensus top wide receiver in this draft class, and would be a great top option in the passing game for Carr. Cooper is an explosive player with nice size and impressive athletic ability. He has the speed and acceleration to take it to the house at any time, and also shows great hands. As great as Cooper is, the Raiders are unlikely to take him with one of the top two or three picks. Trading down a few spots to a quarterback needy team looking to land Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston could be an enticing option for the Raiders, and would put them in prime position to land Cooper.
Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
Another way for the Raiders to help Carr is to beef up the offensive line to help protect him. Cedric Ogbuehi has everything that NFL teams want in a left tackle. He has incredible athleticism and agility for a man that stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 300 pounds. He is also a very powerful and strong blocker. Ogbuehi does struggle with technique at times, which can certainly hurt him. He is better at pass protection than run blocking at this stage in his career, and that is unlikely to change. Ogbuehi may be a bit of a stretch as a top two or three pick, but do not count it out. He would also be a great target if Oakland were to trade down a bit.
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
While he may not have the pure athleticism of Ogbuehi, but Brandon Scherff is an intriguing offensive line prospect who would make a huge impact for the Raiders. At 6-foot-5, 320 pounds Scherff is an incredibly powerful player who has freakish strength. His run blocking skills are already elite as he continually mauls opposing defenders. Scherff is good, but inconsistent, as a pass blocker, making some question whether he has a future as a left tackle in the NFL. Scherff is a powerful player who is unlikely to be anything worse than a Pro Bowl guard. That being said, if the Raiders draft him in the top three (or top 10 if they trade down), they will do so thinking he can play left tackle.