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Oakland Raiders: Assessing the probability of a few first-round options

By Kevin Saito

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 22: A group of offensive linemen listen to instruction during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 22, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 22: A group of offensive linemen listen to instruction during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 22, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders /

Roquan Smith

The Raiders have needed a sideline-to-sideline playmaking linebacker for longer than most of us care to admit. They haven’t had a dominant linebacker for a very, very long time. Actually, forget dominant, they’ve barely had competent linebackers over the last decade or so.

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    • Smith could most definitely break that dry spell and give the Raiders somebody in the middle with the ability to help lift the defense as a whole.

    At six-foot-one, 236 pounds, some consider him to be a little undersized to play inside. But, all agree that he’s got elite athleticism, superb natural instincts, and a high football IQ – all traits you want to see in your middle linebacker.

    Having run a 4.5 in the 40, Smith has the speed to run down backs, beat them to the corners, the agility to stay out of harm’s way from the bigger blockers, and the awareness to diagnose a play.

    Over his career at Georgia, Smith has been great against both the run and the pass, has been a leader and a tireless worker. He’s been everything the Bulldogs wanted and seems to be everything the Raiders need.

    That being said, we know of McKenzie’s stubborn refusal to draft a linebacker in the early rounds, preferring to find them later in the Draft, or while picking through thee loads of UDFA’s out there.

    If there ever was a time for him to break his own (stupid) rule, this would be it. Smith has the potential to be one of those generational talents that can be a very solid building block for your defense as a whole for years to come.

    Probability: Even Money – The Smart, Safe Pick, But Not Necessarily The One They’ll Make

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