Oakland Raiders Roundtable: Final seven-round mock draft
Isaac’s fifth round pick (#159): Kevin Tolliver, CB
Much like they did in the fifth round, the team should use a fifth-round pick to bring in competition at the cornerback position. This competition can come in the form of LSU cornerback, Kevin Tolliver.
Tolliver is a prospect who shows all the physical traits and skills you like to see in an NFL corner, but does not have the college production to match. Tolliver suffered from many injuries during his time at LSU, leading him to never quite live up to the expectations he had as a recruit.
In the small amount of time he was healthy and on the field, Tolliver looked like a player who should be selected in a round much earlier than where he will end up. Selecting a player like Tolliver is a gamble, as he may never be healthy.
Despite his massive injury risk, the potential upside that comes with Tolliver warrants a fifth-round pick if he is still available.
Kevin’s fifth round pick (#159): Royce Freeman, RB
Oakland’s running back situation may be settled for this year, with Marshawn Lynch coming back to be the team’s featured back, but moving forward, the situation is anything but clear.
It’s likely that this will be Lynch’s final year, we don’t know if Doug Martin will even make it out of camp at this point, leaving the Raiders moving forward with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard – two smaller scatbacks with very similar skill sets.
Gruden might look to address the position in the Draft by taking Freeman out of Oregon. At five-foot-eleven, 234 pounds, Freeman ran a 4.5 in the 40, and put up 17 reps, showing a good combination of strength and speed.
He was highly productive for the Ducks over his career – he is Oregon’s leading career rusher. But, he has tallied a high number of carries, which could be a concern. However, if drafted, he could sit back and learn from Lynch for a year and chip in on special teams until the team is ready for him to be the bellcow back.
Isaac’s fifth round pick (#173): Micah Kiser, LB
In the first round, I had the team selecting Roquan Smith. While Smith has the ability to play middle linebacker, he should be utilized a weakside linebacker. Given the event that Navarro Bowman is never resigned by the team, there will still be a hole at the middle linebacker position.
The team can use the second of their two fifth round picks to fill this hole. By the fifth round there will not be many inside linebacker prospects available that have the potential to start immediately. Perhaps the best one that will be available at this time is Micah Kiser out of Virginia.
Kiser will fall this far in the draft due to his lack of size and speed, like many of the linebackers that will be available at this point. Despite his lack of elite physical gifts, Kiser produced well in college, earning a spot on the All-ACC first team defense in his senior season.
Kiser should be able to come in and compete for the chance to start at inside linebacker, given that the team does not choose to bring back Navarro Bowman.
Kevin’s fifth round pick (#173): Tyrell Crosby, OT
Gruden dips into the Oregon well again for his second fifth-round pick by taking Freeman’s teammate, Tyrell Crosby.
There is a tremendous dropoff in the quality of tackles after Mike McGlinchey and some teams will be reaching by taking a few of the others higher off the board. Crosby though, could well still be on the board in the fifth round.
At six-foot-four, 319 pounds, Crosby has good size, and decent speed, at 5.23. He’s as good in run blocking as he is in pass blocking, and has good feet, and terrific mobility and athleticism.
He needs to get a bit stronger, but he could challenge for a spot on the right side of the line right away – or provide some solid depth. And with a little seasoning, he could perhaps, slide across and take over for Donald Penn on Carr’s blind side.