Power ranking the Oakland Raiders biggest 2019 NFL Draft needs
By Justin Fried
1. Edge Rusher
Without question, there is no greater need for the Raiders heading into the 2019 NFL Draft than edge rusher.
Following the September 1st trade of Khalil Mack, the Raiders were left without much at the edge rusher position. One season of little production later and the team is absolutely desperate for some help on the edge.
The Raiders posted a downright embarrassing total of 13 sacks during the 2018 season, which not only ranked last in the NFL but was a whole 17 sacks less than the next worst team. That’s right, the 31st ranked team had more than double the number of sacks the Raiders — the 32nd ranked team — were able to total.
In fact, only one of those sacks came from an edge rusher still on the team’s roster, that being last year’s third-round pick Arden Key. Key will likely return as one piece of the edge rush rotation but the rest of the depth chart is a barren wasteland of veteran reserves and NFL castoffs.
None of the team’s offseason acquisitions at the position — Benson Mayowa, Josh Mauro, and Alex Barrett — are starting options meaning that the Raiders need at edge rusher is perhaps the most pressing need for any team in this year’s draft.
dark. Next. Oakland Raiders: One EDGE target in every round of the 2019 NFL Draft
Expect the team to perhaps target this position with their No. 4 overall selection, or at the least very early in the draft. Even in the wildest draft scenarios, it’s hard to see the Raiders exiting the first round without an edge rusher.
There’s nothing to overthink here, edge rusher should be the clear top priority for the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft.