Oakland Raiders Have A Tough Decision To Make In This Year’s Draft
By Kevin Saito
Well, thanks a lot, Todd McShay.
On the heels of a very recent article about the Oakland Raiders needing to draft Amari Cooper with the fourth pick, McShay released his most recent mock draft. And McShay — much to the everlasting joy and delight of a good sized chunk of the Raider faithful — has the Raiders taking DT Leonard Williams at number four.
Of course, McShay is making quite a few assumptions in his mock, such as Jameis Winston going first to the Buccaneers — “he’s probably right about that — and Marcus Mariota going number two. McShay’s second pick is far less certain though. He also believes that Jacksonville will be taking Cooper at three, meaning Williams falls to four and within Oakland’s grasp.
Hey, it could happen. Nobody expected Khalil Mack to fall to five last year.
If it does play out as McShay is suggesting, Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio are going to have a seriously tough decision to make. Though Cooper will be gone, another elite level receiving talent in Kevin White will still be on the board, along with Williams.
And it just so happens that the Raiders have needs at both spots.
Feb 22, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive lineman
Leonard Williamsgoes through a workout drill during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
In that recent article mentioned earlier, there was a lot of support of the Raiders drafting defense with the fourth pick. Dante Fowler Jr. or Vic Beasley would be acceptable, though many of the comments indicated that if Williams is on the board, there is absolutely, positively no way Oakland can pass him up.
The tone of the comments suggested that if Williams were on the board and Oakland did not take him, an angry mob of torch and pitchfork wielding Raider fans would be standing outside Raider HQ, burning McKenzie in effigy and likely saying some rather unpleasant things.
In all seriousness, the cases made for drafting defense are both smart and compelling. Yes, the Raiders need help on the defensive side of the ball. They need some help establishing an effective and sustained pass rush. But the Raiders might actually be in better shape along the front seven than many believe.
With Justin Ellis and Dan Williams inside, Justin Tuck on one edge, and the Raiders at least flirting with the idea of having Khalil Mack on the other edge, backed up by a linebacker group of Sio Moore, Curtis Lofton, and Malcolm Smith, you could argue that the Raiders have a very solid front seven as it is.
Add in depth and rotational players like the recently re-signed C.J. Wilson, Benson Mayowa, Antonio Smith, and others, and the Raiders don’t look too shabby defensively speaking.
They will be much better against the run, and if they do indeed opt to put Mack on the edge opposite Tuck, they will have a legit and fierce pass rush. Would a player of Williams’ caliber add some extra help? Absolutely. But given the pieces they have in place right now a€“ along with any other edge rushers they may add in later rounds a€“ the Raiders can use that fourth pick elsewhere.
And by elsewhere, we mean offense. Specifically, we mean wide receiver.
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Some of the comments on that previous article suggested that wide receiver isn’t as glaring an area of need as it’s being made out to be. Despite what McShay — and about half of the Raider faithful — might think, there are many who believe Oakland is in desperate need of a receiver.
Yes, having Rod Streater back this season is going to be a huge boost for the offense. And of course, James Jones will likely be his normal, steady self. Both will be terrific targets for Derek Carr. But outside of those two, what other weapons do the Raiders have in their arsenal?
Brice Butler was targeted just 35 times last season, and hauled in just 21 of those — a completion rate of just 60 percent. Andre Holmes pulled in 47 of 99 passes in 2014 — a completion rate of just 47 percent. Those completion rates are — to put it kindly — not very good for your third and fourth receivers.
It’s no secret that Oakland’s receivers had some real issues with consistency last season. That would be the reason that Denarius Moore is out looking for employment at the moment, and is likely the reason that the Raiders offered such a low tender for Holmes.
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To put it bluntly, the Raiders must have a viable third option in the receiving corps. They need a receiver who is going to be more reliable catching the ball than either Butler or Holmes was last season. And either Cooper or Kevin White would fit that bill nicely.
What they have on the roster right now is serviceable. But to help Carr grow and elevate his game, Oakland will need more than a serviceable receiving group. They are going to need a reliable and even dynamic one. Why continue rolling out the Volkswagen when you can put a Ferrari out on the field?
Adding an elite level talent like Cooper or White would give Oakland that Ferrari in their receiving corps. A wide receiving trio of Streater, Jones, and Cooper/White would give the Raiders receivers who can stretch the field as well as make the plays underneath. It would also give Oakland a far more formidable group of receivers that will command the respect of opposing defenses.
While defense and a dynamic rushing attack most certainly contribute heavily to winning championships, teams still need a very good offense that can keep defenses honest and put points on the board. And given just how poorly Oakland’s offense performed as a whole in 2014, they desperately need some upgrades.
HC Jack Del Rio has said that he wants to make it so that this season isn’t €œall about Derek.€ To do that, he’s going to need to bring in some help for the second year QB. While he’s done a good job of working with McKenzie to shape, deepen, and strengthen the defense, they now need to turn their attention to the offense. Adding Lee Smith and Rodney Hudson were both terrific signings that will have a huge impact on Oakland’s offense on day one. But the Raiders and Carr need a little more help.
Williams is an unbelievable talent. And it would boggle the minds of many if he were on the board and Oakland passed on him. But the Raiders are pretty solid along the defensive front as it is. What they have is more than merely serviceable, it’s pretty good.
Oakland’s receivers are serviceable, but adding a Cooper or a White would make them very good. The Raiders need to leave the VW in the garage and bring the Ferrari out.