S&BP Staff 2016 7-round Raiders mock draft: Round 7, pick 243 is Trae Elston, FS, Ole Miss

Trae Elston, FS, Ole Miss

Many of the selections this late in the draft don't make the team or contribute which is why teams should select the best available player regardless of position. While the Raiders already have taken two defensive backs (Mackensie Alexander and Miles Killebrew), they take Elston in the seventh round because he is the best player on their board and the Raiders could use more depth at safety.

Elston is a poor-man's Karl Joseph in that he is an undersized safety who loves to hit receivers. Elston's size and inconsistency will drop his stock, but the man can play and was a First Team All-SEC selection in 2015 after 70 tackles, 18 passes defended, and 4 interceptions.

I am a believer that safeties must be aggressive and Elston fits the bill as he is a physical striker that plays like a heat-seeking missile. Elston also plays with the mentality that when the football is in the air, it is his. He has experience playing against top talent and was a leader on a talented Ole Miss defense. At 5'11", 195 lbs, the Ole Miss safety lacks ideal size for the safety position, but he plays much bigger and tougher than his looks.

Elston will be a late-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft because of his small frame and inconsistency, but he has the aggressiveness and potential necessary to eventually fight for a starting spot in the NFL. At the very least, he will give the Raiders more depth at a position lacking of it.

Raiders selections:

Round 1, pick 14 -- Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Round 2, pick 44 -- Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
Round 3, pick 75 -- Paul Perkins, RB, UCLA
Round 4, pick 114 -- Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah
Round 5, pick 143 -- Daniel Braverman, WR, Western Michigan
Round 5, pick 154 -- Eric Striker, LB, Oklahoma
Round 6, pick 194 -- Brandon Shell, OT, South Carolina
Round 7, pick 243 -- Trae Elston, S, Ole Miss

This wraps up our Staff Raiders seven round mock draft. Tune into ESPN and NFL Network on Thursday at 5pm Pacific Time to watch the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.