Oakland Raiders: Ranking Team’s Biggest Needs Heading Into The Draft
By Kevin Saito
Arguably, Oakland’s Biggest Need
Oakland’s defense notched an NFL-low 25 sacks last season. And of those 25, Khalil Mack (11) and Bruce Irvin (7) accounted for 18 of them. Which means that the rest of the team combined for just seven sacks. And of those seven, Denico Autry and Stacy McGee – now in Washington – accounted for 5.5 of those.
Which means that the Raiders got a whopping 1.5 sacks from the rest of the defense.
Obviously, that’s something that needs to change. And change quickly. Specifically, the Raiders need some big bodies along the interior who can help occupy the offensive line, collapse the pocket, get a good push up the middle – and most importantly, help free Mack and Irvin up to do what they do.
Getting Mario Edwards Jr. Back – hopefully healthy – is going to help that cause. He’ll garner some attention and has proven that when he’s healthy, he can be incredibly productive. Getting Autry back will help too. And if Jihad Ward can shake off a poor rookie season and develop, that will help as well.
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But the Raiders are going to need a little more help. With the premier guys like Jonathan Allen and Malik McDowell likely long gone before the Raiders are on the clock, they’re going to need to identify some solid value down the board.
Given his recent problems, it’s unclear whether Caleb Brantley will remain on McKenzie’s board. Or whether he should. So, for the sake of argument, let’s just drop him here altogether.
Solid pick ups could be Auburn’s Montravius Adams, who at 6’3”, 308 pounds, would occupy a lot of space in the middle. Adams showed out at the Senior Bowl and can play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. Jarron Jones out of Notre Dame (6’5”, 315 pounds) could also fill that need on the interior of that defensive line. He put up decent numbers, but was far more effective for the Fighting Irish than simple stats illustrate.
The point is, the Raiders need help big time along the interior of their defensive line. And it’s there for the taking. If the premier guys happen to fall, Oakland should pounce. Otherwise, they may be able to wait until the mid-rounds to snag a big body.