Oakland Raiders Must Draft Defense In The First Round

The Oakland Raiders hold the fourteenth pick in this year’s draft and Mel Kiper has projected them to take Michigan State’s offensive lineman Jack Conklin in his first mock draft – here is why they shouldn’t.

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The Oakland Raiders are coming off a season that didn’t end with a trip to the postseason, but was a season of tremendous improvement nonetheless. The team as a whole was much, much better than fans have seen in quite some time. There is no doubt that the Raiders are a team on the rise and will be a force to be reckoned with before long. That being said, there are still some glaring holes on this roster that must be addressed.

And in the minds of many, the biggest hole the Raiders need to address is apparently the offensive line. At least, it is according to Mel Kiper as well as the many folks who jumped on that particular train the minute it left the station.

To be fair, yes, the Raiders could use some upgrades along the line. Donald Penn – assuming the team does the smart thing and re-signs him – and Gabe Jackson have one side of the line nailed down tight. And Rodney Hudson is a solid anchor in the middle. Most believe that it’s on that other side of the line – the J’Marcus Webb and Austin Howard side of the line – that could stand to be upgraded a bit.

But – and there’s always a but, isn’t there?

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Upgrading that side of the line should not be the biggest priority this offseason. And certainly not enough to warrant burning a first round pick to do it. The Raiders can and should poke around the free agent market if they see upgrading their right side of the line as important. There are plenty of solid players – and more importantly, established players like Russell Okung and Andre Smith possibly – who are going to be available soon.

But then again, if something isn’t broken, why try to fix it?

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Yes, Pro Football Focus correctly identified Webb and Howard as being below average – or the weak links on Oakland’s offensive line. However, PFF also ranked the Raiders’ offensive line as a whole sixth in the entire league. Sixth. Most believed the line was one of Oakland’s biggest liabilities heading into the 2015 season and it became one of the team’s biggest strengths. That’s not too shabby any way you look at it.

The line was good enough to allow Derek Carr to pass for a tick under 4,000 yards and managed to help Latavius Murray become Oakland’s first 1,000 yard rusher since Darren McFadden cracked the mark back in 2010. Under the tutelage of Mike Tice, contrary to popular belief, Oakland’s offensive line was one of the NFL’s best units last season.

If you can grab an upgrade in free agncy, go for it. Absolutely. But to burn a first round pick on a line that is performing well? That would be nuts. Especially when there are bigger needs to address.

The biggest need of course, is in the secondary. With Charles Woodson retiring, the Raiders need a safety – but that need could be filled by signing somebody like Eric Weddle. What the Raiders desperately need is a cornerback who can make some plays. Outside of David Amerson, the Raiders’ corners didn’t amount to much. Travis Carrie had an inconsistent season and D.J. Hayden was – well – D.J. Hayden. Carrie still has talent and plenty of upside and would likely be a solid slot corner – or the Raiders could attempt to transition him to safety, given that he played fairly well there when pressed into duty last season.

Needless to say, the Raiders need some corners who can play opposite Amerson and play at a high level.

Assuming they’re still on the board at fourteen, the Raiders should look at Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey or Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander. Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III has also had his name mentioned as a possibility. All three have the sort of skill and athleticism that should transition well to the pro game and would likely provide a bit of an upgrade at the position.

The Raiders also desperately need a linebacker who can be effective in pass coverage. Though they have some solid talent, Oakland’s linebackers got burned on a lot of pass plays. Curtis Lofton did not pan out the way the Raiders had hoped when they signed him and was more of a liability last season than an asset.

Malcolm Smith was solid in run defense and made a lot of great plays, but he too is a little limited in pass coverage. Ditto that for Ben Heeney. Neiron Ball was a plesant surprise last season as he proved adept at both run and pass defense, but his season was dismantled by injury.

The Raiders could really use another linebacker who can play both the run and pass equally well. UCLA’s Myles Jack – assuming he is one hundred percent after his injury – could fit that bill very well. So could Darron Lee out of Ohio State or Reggie Ragland out of Alabama.

The old adage is that defense wins championships. Is it a mere coincidence that the two championship games – Arizona v. Carolina, Denver v New England – featured teams who all had defenses ranked inside the top ten this season? And is it further coincidence that the two teams playing for the Lombardi Trophy – Denver and Carolina – have respectively, the first and sixth ranked defenses in the league?

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Defense wins championships. HC Jack Del Rio knows that. Understands it. And has vowed to build a defensive bully in Oakland. The offense is fine but the defense needs some help. They need some players who can help elevate a defense that is already trending in the right direction to the next level. They need some players who can help make Oakland’s defense a championship caliber unit.

Kiper is dead wrong. The Raiders don’t need to use their first round pick on an offensive lineman. The offense is doing fine. They need to use it on a player who can help Del Rio build that bully and who can help take the defense to another level. With an overwhelming, overpowering defense, the sky will be the limit for these Raiders.