NFL draft 2021: Complete Raiders draft class

The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2021 NFL draft class is complete. Finally.

Now is time to review it:

First round

No. 17 — Alabama right tackle Alex Leatherwood:
This was a controversial pick. The Raiders reportedly think he was the best tackle available. More power to them. Time will tell.

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Second round

No. 43 — TCU safety Trevon Moehrig:
I said on my podcast on Friday night that the trade up to take the best safety available saved the Raiders’ draft. It may sound dramatic, but I believe it.

Third round:

No. 79 — Buffalo pass-rusher Malcolm Koonce:
I love the positional fit here as the Raiders needed to take a pass rusher. Some people think Koonce was picked too high and some think he’s a hidden gem. That’s the beauty of the draft.

No. 80 — Virginia Tech linebacker/safety Divine Deablo:
I like this pick. This kid is fast and big. At worst, he’s a good special teamer. At best, he’s a starter. This choice may not be the best news for 2020 third-round pick, Tanner Muse, but that’s a story for another day.

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Fourth round

No. 143 — Missouri safety Tyree Gillespie:
The Raiders traded the No. 162 (fifth round) and No. 200 picks (sixth) to take Gillespie. That is the third safety (the second they traded up for) the Raiders have taken and he, like Deablo, could be a threat to strong safety Johnathan Abram. Gillespie is a fit for Gus Bradley’s defense. It will be interesting to see his development.

Fifth round

No. 167 — Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs:
Some people around the NFL believe Hobbs may need to move to safety because he has stiff hips. But the Raiders couldn’t have tried to add a fourth safety, could they have? The most likely scenario is Hobbs will be used as a slot cornerback and push 2020 fourth-round pick, Amik Robertson, there. At a crowded cornerback spot, Hobbs will need to have a strong training camp to stay off the practice squad.

Seventh round

No. 230 — Pittsburgh center Jimmy Morrissey:
Morrissey is a classic Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock type. Morrissey walked-on at Pitt and ended his career as a team captain. He is behind Andre James and new backup Nick Martin. Morrissey could be an intriguing candidate for the practice squad.