Oakland Raiders: Three roster holes and how to fill them in the draft

Cornerback: Nick Nelson, Wisconsin

When the third round comes, it will be time for the team to address the cornerback void left by the departure of Sean Smith. The best player available to do so will be cornerback Nick Nelson from the University of Wisconsin.

In 2017, Nelson led the nation in passes defended with 21. In the same year he was awarded a spot on the First Team All-Big Ten defense. His production in college is undeniable.

He will likely slip this far in the draft as some teams are concerned with his ball skills. The fact that he had 21 passes defended but zero interceptions has caused some scouts to doubt him.

Even if they are right and he ever becomes a big interception guy, his floor as a pass defender makes him hard to pass on in the third round at a position of need. At the worst, he will be a capable starter in the NFL. At the best, if these scouts who doubt his ball skills are wrong and his production translates to the NFL, he can be much better than average.

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Either way, he would serve to help the Raider’s secondary tremendously by playing opposite Gareon Conley.