Oakland Raiders: Latest 3-round 2019 NFL mock draft adds weapons
By Kevin Saito
As we all know, the linebacker spot has been a very glaring area of need for years now. Thanks to a record of poor drafting and less-than-stellar free agent additions, Oakland’s linebackers have had trouble defending the run and even more trouble defending the pass.
Tahir Whitehead, added last year as a free agent, played much better down the stretch and brought a note of credibility to the position group. Marquel Lee improved in his second year, but still isn’t close to being a three-down defender.
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And Jason Cabinda’s play in the middle down the stretch earned him a longer look, as he’s shown some promise. If he can continue to develop and make that upside he showed a reality, Cabinda could provide some stability in the middle.
But, they will still need to add some depth that can have an impact. They need bodies who can be three-down backers and defend the pass a lot better than recent players have been able to.
This is where Alabama’s Mack Wilson comes into play. He’s still a bit raw and needs a little more polish, but he’s got terrific speed, outstanding instincts, and is already an above-average prospect. If Gruden’s staff can coach him up, they can turn him into a very high-level linebacker – one who can be a force on the defensive side of the ball for years.
Wilson has good size, good speed, outstanding instincts, and may be just the kind of grinder Gruden likes to see in his players. He could be a fantastic addition to a defense in dire need of players.