Raiders draft 2022: Phidarian Mathis is among Alabama players who fit Las Vegas

We previously looked at why we should expect the Las Vegas Raiders to continue to target players from Alabama in the upcoming draft.

Like the former leadership paring of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock (who took Alabama players in the first round in the past three drafts), the new Raiders’ brass of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler also has a recent history of taking Alabama players high in the draft and they have a working relationship with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban,

While the Raiders currently only have five draft picks and don’t select until No. 86, in the third round as a result of the Davante Adams trade, the Raiders could still be in position to poach players from Alabama.

Let’s take a look at some Alabama players who could fit the Raiders in the latter rounds of the April 28-30 draft:

DT Phidarian Mathis:

If Mathis is sitting at No. 86, I could see the Raiders scooping him up. He fits this defense and he would be a great value at No. 86. I could even see Mathis being a target of a modest trade-up for Las Vegas. This pairing could happen.

CB Jayln Armour-Davis

Armour-Davis could be a fit at No. 86. The Raiders have been studying a lot of cornerbacks in recent weeks and Armour-Davis could be a fit for the Raiders’ first pick.

LB Christian Harris:

He may not be there at No. 86. He is a solid three-year contributor who has a chance to have a long career in the NFL. He could be a foundation piece for Patrick Graham’s defense for the long haul.

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LB Christopher Allen:

He could be a good value pick in the latter rounds. He suffered a foot injury in the opening game of the 2021 season and did not return. He led the SEC with 13 tackles for loss in 2020. If he’s available late, it might be worth picking Allen.

WR Slade Bolden:

Some scouts think he’s a prototypical New England-type receiver. He also plays special teams. He could be a target in the seventh round or maybe as an undrafted free agent signing.

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CB Josh Jobe:

Jobe is another mid-to-late-round possibility. I could see the Raiders wanting to add to the secondary in the draft. The cornerback has played a lot of football in the competitive SEC and he might be worth a late-round flier.