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“The Town” (Oakland) deserved to see their Oakland Raiders win for potentially the last the at the Oakland Coliseum Monday night. But of course, that win took them out of the No. 2 slot in the 2019 NFL Draft and slid them down a couple of spots to be in line for No. 4 overall.
The 2019 NFL Draft class is deep at edge-rusher with seven projected to go in the first round on a lot of draft boards. But former Ohio State and Kentucky edge-rushers Nick Bosa and Josh Allen, the only two that have top-5 value right now, could be gone. Rashan Gary is intriguing but a reach to take so high because of his lack for production at Michigan.
EDGE is a huge need for the Raiders but so is inside linebacker as the Raiders are No. 30 against the run and 32nd in sacks. Stopping the run sets up 3rd-and-longs so the Raiders could possibly improve their pass rush by drafting an ILB like LSU’s Devin White. White will probably be the best player available for the Raiders to pick at No. 4 overall.
According 24/7 Sports, White could be the best all-around athlete in the draft. The ILB reportedly ran a laser-timed 4.49 40 and posted a 38-inch vertical leap coming out of high school as the No. 5 running back of his recruiting class.
As an ILB, his athleticism and experience at the RB position enables him to keep up with RBs in pass coverage and go sideline to sideline in the running game. At 6’1”, 240 pounds, he can stand his ground in the middle of his defense too. He’s also a good blitzer, something defensive coordinator Paul Guenther can use in his Double-A-Gap blitz scheme. His 115 tackles, 12 for a loss, 3 sacks, 5 passes defensed, 2 fumbles forced and 2 recoveries this year at LSU match his tape too.
This kid could be force under Guenther, who did wonders with Vontaze Burfict and who’s nowhere near as athletic as White.
Poll
Should the Raiders take Devin White at No. 4 overall?
This poll is closed
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70%
Yes, he’ll be the best player available at a need.
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29%
No, the Raiders should address that edge-rusher need first.
So what do you think?
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