The Oakland Raiders will soon be on the clock with a lot of holes to fill – and one latest mock has them selecting a player they can’t afford to take.
WhenOakland RaidersHC Jon Gruden and GMReggie McKenzieturn in their first draft card on Thursday, they will be charting the course for the team for years to come.
Which means, they’re going to need to get this first pick – this draft class – right. They’re going to need to hit a home run with this year’s crop of rookies.
To put it simply, in trying to rebound from a horrific 2017, they’re going to need to get a lot more out of this draft class than they’ve gotten out of their last few classes – something Gruden has already noted.
And this is where the ancient battle between, “best player available,” and “addressing glaring needs,” rears its ugly head once more – something we’ve seen play out in numerous mock drafts over the last few weeks.
Despite a lot of offseason maneuvering and adding more than twenty new faces to the roster, the Raiders still have a lot of needs they’ll need to address in this year’s Draft. And they’re going to need to pick up players who can step in and contribute on day one.
Which makes the latest Todd McShay/Mel Kiper “head to head” mock draft a little puzzling. Specifically, the pick McShay has down for the Raiders at tenth overall.
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McShay, after mocking the Colts to takeRoquan Smithat six (and Kiper has theSan Francisco 49erstakingDenzel Wardat nine), has the Raiders taking Florida State safetyDerwin James at ten, saying:
"“That coin flip looms large, but James is a good consolation prize. He’s one of the most versatile prospects I’ve evaluated, and Oakland needs playmakers on D.”"
It’s also interesting to note that in this McShay/Kiper head-to-head mock,Tremaine Edmunds, who would seemingly fill a large need on Oakland’s roster, is still on the board. It would also seem to be a stretch to think that James will even get to ten, but that’s neither here nor there at this point.
There is no questioning James’ athleticism or ability. He is one of the most impactful safeties – one of the most impactful overallplayers– in this year’s draft class. He has a rare set of skills and a unique talent that looks like a guy who’s going to be a beast in this league.
That being said, he’s also not the right pick for Oakland.
WithKarl Josephplaying well and likely not going anywhere for a long time, and the newly signedMarcus Gilchristlikely slotted in to play alongside him, andShalom Luanistill in the building, Oakland seems pretty set at safety.
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And, oh yeah, there’s last year’s second-round pickObi Melifonwuto consider. If McShay is right, and the Raiders select James, what does that say about Melifonwu? Perhaps, the better question might be – what would they thendowith Melifonwu?
Are they already pulling the plug on him? After he logged just 34 defensive snaps last year? Are they going to trade or cut Melifonwu after seeing him on the field for just 34 defensive snaps?
Or, would they potentially force Melifonwu into a position change? We would hope that’s not the case after seeing him play corner – badly – against the Patriots last season. Despite freakish athleticism, he’s six-foot-four and just 224 pounds – meaning, he’s not really big enough to play linebacker. So, where would you put Melifonwu and what would you do with him?
Drafting James would give the Raiders three young safeties – four if you throw Luani into the mix. Which would seem to make the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen,” particularly relevant.
Depth is never a bad thing to have in the NFL, but what would be the point of drafting an impact player like James only to put him into a part-time role?Somebodywould have to be relegated to a part time role, be it Joseph, Melifonwu, or James – there are only so many defensive snaps to go around.
Also, drafting James would do absolutely nothing to address the more pressing areas of concern for a defense that has ranked at or near the bottom of the league in most metrics for the last few seasons running.
The Raiders have needs up front – they need a defensive tackle who can get solid and consistent pressure from the interior. They need interior linemen who can help edge rushers likeKhalil MackandBruce Irvin.
They need help on that second level of their defense. Barring a return byNaVorro Bowman, the Raiders are a little thin at inside linebacker and could use some help there as well.
And despite some intriguing moves with the cornerbacks group, the Raiders could still use some help. They could – and should – use some of their draft capital to stock up on some young, impactful talent, given the question marks that still loom.
They could probably also still use another quality edge rusher to team with Mack and Irvin.
About the only thing theydon’tdesperately need right now – or is at least, not as much of a priority – is a safety.
Ordinarily, adding a player as impactful as James would be a terrific get. Ordinarily, you wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on a guy like that. After all, you can never have too much talent on your roster, right?
This isn’t an ordinary year though. This is a team that has to prove itself all over again. It’s a highly talented team that woefully underachieved last year as it stumbled its way to its twelfth losing season in the last fifteen years – and remember, in two of those three “non-losing” seasons, they went just 8-8.
The Raiders have some glaring holes that need to be addressed by players who can step in and contribute from day one. Players who can make up for the lack of production from previous draft classes.
Though having a player with James’ talent and ability would be fantastic, he’s unfortunately, a luxury this team can’t really afford. Not with so many actualneedson the roster.
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