Oakland Raiders: What Is Their First Round Priority In The NFL Draft?

The Oakland Raiders will be looking to fine tune their roster through the upcoming draft – but what is going to be their first round priority?

More from Las Vegas Raiders News

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
• Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
• Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
• Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie finds himself in a much different position than he’s accustomed to being. Since taking over at the helm for the Raiders, McKenzie has been picking near the very top of the order every year – a position the Raiders have been drafting from for more than a decade now, all told. But this year, McKenzie is going to have to wait until the middle of the first round to make his initial selection.

With all of Oakland’s returning talent, as well as the upgrades made via free agency, the Raiders are going to put a very solid, very competitive team on the field on day one. So this draft isn’t necessarily about finding foundation players who are ready to plug and play right now.

They don’t necessarily need ready made stars. This draft is about fine tuning, adding depth, building for the future, and augmenting the wealth of talent the team currently enjoys.

So, for the first time in quite a long time, the Raiders enter this year’s draft without a plethora of massive holes to fill. There are still some areas that need to be addressed, of course, but this team doesn’t have many glaring “right now, gotta have it” needs.

Which begs the question – given the current composition of the team, what will their priority in the first round be?

Most mock drafts go with the conventional wisdom of adding depth. Multiple mocks have the Raiders selecting offensive lineman Jack Conklin out of Michigan State, a cornerback like Eli Apple out of Ohio State, Mackensie Alexander out of Clemson, or Vernon Hargreaves III out of Florida.

There are also some who insist that safety is still Oakland’s top need despite the presence of Nate Allen and Reggie Nelson – and Travis Carrie if they find themselves in a pinch.

The only consensus is that there is no consensus.

But in looking at the current construction of the roster, if there was one area that you could point to that needs some beefing up, it would be the running back spot.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

Now, many of us have argued that it is absolutely crazy to use a first round pick on a running back. And in this day and age of quarterbacks throwing 150 passes a game, it would certainly seem to be. The NFL is very much a fantasy-driven passing league these days. But that doesn’t mean, the presence of a solid running game can’t help a quarterback and an offense as a whole move to another level.

It’s a bit of a reversal of position for this writer, but in looking at how this roster has been fleshed out this offseason, it’s clear that the Raiders have addressed most of their glaring holes — but still need some help at the running back spot.

It surprises nobody more than this writer to say, but if he’s there at fourteen, the Raiders should snag Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott.

Latavius Murray is a strong, capable runner and should remain Oakland’s lead back. He’s powerful, fast, and can make some fantastic plays in the open field. But after Murray, there is a serious decline in running back talent. Roy Helu Jr. and Taiwan Jones are fine as a change of pace back. But the Raiders need somebody who can actually help shoulder the burden on Murray’s back, and neither Jones nor Helu, are capable of doing that.

Live Feed

Fantasy CPR

The now-Los Angeles Rams showed us last season what the presence of a dominating running game can do for an offense after they selected Todd Gurley in the first round. Gurley was flat out dominant in his first season as a pro, racking up a little more than 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground on his way to the Rookie of the Year award.

The Rams’ offensive problems had more to do with the quarterback, a lack of receiving talent, and a shaky offensive line, than it did with Gurley – he flourished and thrived in spite of the Rams’ offensive problems.

The Raiders though, have a vastly upgraded offensive line that is going to maul people. It’s an offense that is loaded with weapons and that last year, showed flashes of just how lethal they can be. And now, with a year of OC Bill Musgrave‘s system under their belts, it’s a unit that is poised to achieve even greater heights.

The one thing this team has been missing is a consistent ground game. The bulk of the workload has been on Murray’s shoulders, and the Raiders desperately need a second back who can share that burden. Elliott would seem to be an ideal fit in that role.

Elliott is a beast with enormous physical gifts. His talent is off the charts and after posting back to back 1,800 yard plus seasons and scoring 41 touchdowns in that two year span at Ohio State, he’s sure to be coveted come draft day.

In all likelihood, Elliott will be gone by 14. There are plenty of teams out there who need help in the backfield. But with the amount of jockeying and trading that goes on during Draft Day, anything is possible. The idea of Elliott falling to 14 aren’t outside the realm of possibility – after all, there were many who didn’t think Khalil Mack would fall into Oakland’s arms at five in 2014, and yet he did.

Elliott would give the Raiders a much needed offensive punch. It would help ease the burden on Murray and it would benefit the offense as a whole. It would help this team elevate and make a jump to another level.

Next: Aldon Smith And Greg Hardy Are Apples and Oranges

The Raiders don’t find themselves with a lot of absolutely glaring needs heading into the draft. They need depth and young talent of course, but if a playmaker and incredible talent like Elliott is on the board when the Raiders are on the clock, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and snap him up. He could make a huge difference for this offense when the games get real.