Five Late Round Prospects Oakland Raiders Should Target

The Oakland Raiders knocked the first round of the 2015 NFL draft out of the park. Their selection, Amari Cooper, caught 72 passes for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. Cooper became the first Raiders’ wide receiver to catch for more than 1,000 yards since Randy Moss accomplished the feat in 2005.

The team also did fairly well in the second and third rounds, adding potential defensive end starter in Mario Edwards Jr and potential tight end starter Clive Walford respectively.

Going into the 2016 NFL draft, many different analysts speculate who the Raiders could take with their first pick, 14th overall.

Chad Reuter of NFL.com predicts the Raiders will take linebacker Leonard Floyd out of Georgia.

Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report predicts the Raiders will take linebacker Reggie Ragland out of Alabama.

Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com predicts the Raiders will take defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville.

No matter who the Raiders take, one thing stays the same. The team needs to nail the first round. Oakland spent a ton this offseason bringing in quality free agents. They already have a young core. The team could be just one or two players away from contending. The team cannot afford to miss on a quality player being so close to contention.

But the NFL draft is more than just one round. If the Raiders want to add depth and improve the teams then fans must play attention to the later rounds of the draft.

These players aren’t flashy but a team can often find a diamond in the rough. Tom Brady, Shannon Sharpe, and AFL stud Ken Houston, among many others, were taken in the sixth round or later.

Usually the glamour of the draft comes in the first few rounds. Fans drool over which big time prospect will be coming to play for their team. But many don’t realize the importance of the late-round picks. It is extreme valuable being able to find an eventual starter from the sixth round and beyond.

So with the Raiders so close to contending these late round picks will be crucial to success. If they can find a player or two they can mold to be eventual starters, not only will the Raiders be a better team, but Reggie McKenzie will be lauded for his ability to find talent in every round.

In this piece we will be looking at prospects expected to go in the sixth or seventh round according to CBS Sports.

Fans may not even realize there is seven rounds in a draft. but these late round players can eventually turn out to be draft day steals for the Oakland Raiders.

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