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Final Mock Draft: Remember Defense?

I'm looking at the direction of some of your mock drafts and all I can do is shake my head. Last year many of you bought into the notion that we had to draft multiple wide receivers in order to help Derek Carr, and that's what we did, only none of the WRs drafted came close to establishing themselves. I told you then like I'm telling you now, Derek Carr needed to help Derek Carr by playing better, and he did for the most last last season. So here we are a year later and once again I see some people wanting to use multiple high picks on offense. They are no doubt the same people that will complain bitterly about how poor the defense is when defending Derek's Carr's win/loss record. I can't make this any more remedial: we need to put resources into the defense in order for it to improve. The time is now under the Bradley regime. When he built the defense up in Jacksonville years ago, he did so by drafting multiple quality young defensive players and that's what has to happen. Stop being so Derek Carr centric and do what it takes to improve the team as a whole.

Having said that, I'll establish a few additional key points that helped shape my thinking.

- My choices will consider what appears to be needs and values of the Raiders as opposed to the draft media.

- It appears that defensive line is far less of a priority than it was prior to free agency.

- Offensive skill will take a back seat to other position groups.

- I believe the Raiders will add an OT, but the priority level remains a question. As of now, I don't believe it is a round I priority, although the right OT could conceivably be a BPA pick @17. As I have pointed out, the Raiders are a H/W/S organization and size and arm length are a strong considering when it comes to acquiring OTs.

- I believe that Gus Bradley will be giving heavy considering in round #1 and he will look to add an identity player on defense.

- There is one player I think we would select above all others, and that is LB Micah Parsons. I have long said he isn't likely to be there at #17. Even beat writers have thrown out the possibility of trading up for this services. Strangely enough, it's less than a week before the draft and due in large part to prospect movement and nth hour developments, there is a much better chance he could in fact be on the board at #17. If this happens, Parsons would be my choice; however, I don't think there is great enough chance he will be available to base my mock off.

- I don't project trades simply because there is no way to accurately project the possibilities.

2021 Raiders Mock Draft

R1- OLB Zaven Collins, Tulsa, 6'4" 247lbs

Highest rated LB in coverage. Fits the do it all profile of a K.J. Wright. Former Valedictorian of his high school.

R2- S Jamar Johnson, Indiana, 6'2" 205lbs

Big S essential to Bradley's cover 3 principles. Great sense of timing against the run and pass.

R3- CB Paulsen Adebo, Stanford, 6'1" 198lbs

A steal in the 3rd. Length, ball skills and 10" hands.

R3- OT Stone Forsythe, Florida, 6'8" 307lbs

Second general player, Raider size and length, great technique in pass protection.

R4- DT Bobby Brown, Texas A&M, 6'4" 321lbs

Hankins new understudy at NT, highly athletic. Much needed size DT option for short yardage defense.

R5- DE Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Notre Dame, 6'4" 256lbs

Untapped potential with mythical beast arm length. Raiders have expressed interest in him.

R5- RB Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State, 5'10" 206lbs

Jalen Richard replacement, highly productive player on a team with no other offensive weapons.

R6- WR/TE Jacob Harris, Central Florida, 6'5" 221lbs

Darren Waller was a tall, blazing fast WR that would transition to TE in the pros after being picked in the 6th round. Do the math.