Oakland Raiders: Updated post-Free Agency 3-round mock draft

If Noah Fant is there at twenty-seven — though there are plenty of people who don’t believe he will be – it will take Gruden and Mayock all of two seconds to turn the card in with his name on it.

Many believe that Fant is the best tight end in this year’s draft class. Others prefer his Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson. Either way you slice it though, Fant is one of the top prospects at his position this year at a time when athletic tight ends are becoming more integral to an offensive unit’s success.

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And given that the Raiders just lost a beast of a pass-catching tight end in Jared Cook, who recently signed with the New Orleans Saints, they happen to be in the market for a beast of a pass-catching tight end to replace him.

At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, Fant has great size. And having run a 4.50 40-yard dash, he’s obviously got fantastic speed. While splitting reps with fellow prospect Hockenson, Fant hauled in 39 catches for 519 yards, a pretty scintillating average of 13.3 yards per catch. He also reeled in seven touchdowns.

Imagine what those numbers would have been had he been the primary tight end on the roster.

Fant is a nightmare matchup for defenses. He can blow by linebackers and gain separation with ease. He’s a solid route-runner with great hands, length, and incredible athleticism.

There are obvious things that need to be coached up and some deficiencies to overcome — most notably in his run and pass blocking — but as a pure pass catcher, Fant could easily replace Cook’s production and then some.