Oakland Raiders: Go defense heavy in initial seven-round mock draft

The Raiders haven’t had a lot of help getting a push up the field or pressure on the quarterback from the interior of their defensive line. Justin Ellis failed to establish himself as anything but a decent run stopper. In terms of pass rush, he was completely non-existent.

The Raiders used Denico Autry inside quite a bit last season and to pretty good effect. But, Autry is a free agent – one that hopefully, Oakland re-signs.

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Even if they can re-sign Autry, all signs point to them letting Ellis walk, which will leave a big hole along the interior of their defensive line. Basically, they’ll have Treyvon Hester, Darius Latham, and Eddie Vanderdoes manning the interior, and of those three, only Hester seemed up to the task.

Which means they’ll need some help.

Former North Carolina State defensive lineman B.J. Hill could add some much needed help and depth. At six-foot-four, 315 pounds, Hill takes up a lot of space. But, more than that, with surprising quickness and agility, he’s effective up front.

Over his four years at NC State, Hill racked up 183 total tackles (76 solo), 23.5 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, an interception, nine passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

He’s big, physical, active, good against the run, can put some pressure up the middle – all things this Raiders defensive line needs. He’s a good value pick late in the sixth, and the Raiders should jump on him should he still be available.