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As expected, the Las Vegas Raiders were quiet last night and didn’t make a pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. However, there were a handful of prospects who slipped into Day 2 and could be worth trading up for. Dave Ziegler did bring up the possibility of making a draft-day move during his pre-draft press conference, so let’s take a quick look at a few guys who could be on the Raiders’ radar.
Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
It’s not a secret that Las Vegas could use an offensive tackle and Raimann had the potential to be a first-round pick. He’s a pretty good athlete for the position as a converted tight end and has cleaner tape than expected for someone who’s only played the position for a couple of years. That being said, he’s still a project and might struggle as a run-blocker initially.
Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
To me, Booth has round one tape and should have been involved in the CB3 conversation. He’s athletic enough to play man-to-man and smart enough to excel in zone coverage to fit into just about any type of defense. Injury concerns have likely scared teams away from the Clemson product, as he struggled to stay healthy in college and missed the NFL Combine and his pro day with what sounds like two different injuries.
Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
With starters Trayvon Mullen and Rock Ya-Sin playing on contract years this season, I’m a big proponent of Las Vegas investing in a cornerback, if you can’t tell. McCreary is another prospect whose tape I thought was pretty impressive, and I like the idea of him getting his feet wet as the third corner in year one. The biggest concern with him is probably size, as he measures in at 5’11 3/8” with 28 7/8” arms, so there are question marks on how the Auburn product’s ball skills will translate to the next level.
Travis Jones, DT, UConn
The Raiders have made quite a few additions at defensive tackle this offseason already so the position is no longer a pressing need, however, Jones could walk in as the best all-around player in the position group. He has the strength to two-gap and hold up against the run, which new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham covets at the position, and the former Huskie has the potential to grow as a pass rusher. The problem is Ziegler runs the risk of trading for a two-down player if the latter doesn’t come to fruition.
Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
Being the only safety who could cover the deep part of the field limited Tre’von Moehrig’s role on the defense last season. Moehrig is a quality deep safety, but he can be more than that if the team has someone else who can roam sideline-to-sideline and Brisker can bring that and more. Plus, Graham has been known to use a lot of two-deep coverages and likes versatile safeties, which The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs lists as an ideal role for Brisker.
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