Power ranking the Oakland Raiders biggest 2019 NFL Draft needs

4. Running Back

The Raiders running game struggled mightily in 2018 and much of that was due to the lack of a dynamic presence in the backfield, as well as a lackluster offensive line.

Oakland has already made a concerted effort to reshape their backfield as they have opted to let their two leading rushers from last season — Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin — walk in free agency. The team also brought in former Jets tailback Isaiah Crowell to compete with the players already present on the roster.

But that just isn’t enough.

Despite what the statistics may show, Crowell shouldn’t be counted on as a true three-down back and isn’t all too appealing of an option as a two-down pace-setter either. The likes of Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are both better change of pace guys as well with the former being the team’s designated third-down receiving back.

And while the bruising Chris Warren shows some promise, it would be unwise to expect him to be an instant impact contributor next season.

All of this means that the Raiders could certainly use a running back and the 2019 NFL Draft is exactly the place to look for one. The team could target one with one of their later first-round picks — primarily Alabama’s Josh Jacobs could be an appealing option.

But the beauty of this is that you could look to the later rounds to fill the need and don’t have to use precious, early draft capital to fill the need. Players like Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill, Michigan’s Karan Higdon, and Penn State’s Miles Sanders could all be players to target in the mid-to-late-rounds if the Raiders choose to do so.

And given their lackluster current crop of running backs, it wouldn’t necessarily be the worst idea.