Mock Draft: Trade back and all defense

Two of the biggest storylines surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL Draft are that the Raiders might trade back to pick up some more premium picks and focus heavily on defensive players. So, why not combine both of those scenarios in a mock draft where Las Vegas adds more selections and only selects defenders to see what that draft haul might look like?

Below is a four-round mock draft using Pro Football Focus’ simulator where each pick includes an explanation and three additional players who were considered at the respective draft slots.

Trade

Raiders send pick 7 to the Washington Commanders for picks 16, 47, 97 and a 2024 4th-rounder

This was an absolute steal for Las Vegas, in my opinion. While other offers would have the Raiders picking higher in the first round, they add two Top 100 picks this year and get an early Day 3 pick in next year’s draft. This would give the Silver and Black six Top 100 selections and seven in the first four rounds.

Other offers considered for pick 7:

• Philadephia Eagles: picks 10 and 62
• Tennesee Titans: picks 11, 72 and 147
• Houston Texans: picks 12, 65, 104 and a 2024 4th-round pick

1st Round

Pick 16 (from WAS): Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

Admittedly, I’m inserting some of my personal bias here as I’m a big Murphy fan and higher on him than most. He’s a freak athlete who posted a 9.71 RAS Score at his Pro Day workout, due in part to running a 4.53-second 40-yard-dash time at nearly 270 pounds. The Tiger is athletic enough to be an effective pass-rusher on the edge and big enough to take some reps on the inside while Chandler Jones is still around.

Other players considered:

• Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
• Brian Branch, S, Alabama
• Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

2nd Round

Pick 38: Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State

Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

I’ll keep the balance here and go with a guy that personally, I think would be a little bit of a reach, but Arkansas’ Drew Sanders and Iowa’s Jack Campbell came off the board in consecutive picks just before this one. Henley is an athletic linebacker who can cover which is something the Raiders have been missing for years. He also is relatively new to the position as a converted wide receiver which gives him the potential to be a better pro than college player.

Other players considered:

• Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
• Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC
• Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

Pick 47 (from WAS): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

Stevenson was someone I considered with the previous selection, so this was a pretty easy call, especially since Adebawore got snatched up by the Green Bay Packers. At six feet and some change with 32 5/8-inch arms and 4.45-second 40-time, the Hurricane is long and can run. He also has good ball production with 12 combined interceptions and pass breakups over his last two years at Miami.

Other players considered:

• Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC
• Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
• Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

3rd Round

Pick 70: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

The Raiders go big—literally—with their first third-round pick in this mock draft. Ika measured in at about 6’3” and 335 pounds at the combine, which is nearly 25 pounds lighter than his roster weight this past season at Baylor. He can plug up gaps and replace what was lost with Andrew Billings’ departure.

Other players considered:

• Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
• Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
• Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa State

Pick 97 (from WAS): Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

This was another scenario where a couple of players who I considered with the previous pick were still available. The decision came between Williams and Hodges-Tomlinson and while the latter has size concerns, Las Vegas already picked up a tall corner in Stevenson. The TCU product’s versatility is intriguing and his 39-inch vertical will help overcome his lack of length.

Other players considered:

• Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
• Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri
• Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin

Pick 100 (from NYG via KC): Moro Ojomo, DL, Texas

What might be the best endorsement I can give of Ojomo is that he gave TCU guard Steve Avila some trouble at the point of attack, which didn’t happen much to Avila. The Longhorn was PFF’s highest-graded Big 12 defensive tackle overall (90.6), against the run (91.4) and as a pass-rusher (84.1) last season. At 289 pounds, he does need to put some weight on to play as a 3- or 4i-technique, but his 34.5-inch arms are a physical gift that should help him make the transition to the NFL.

Other players considered:

• Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
• Kobie Turner, DL, Wake Forest
• Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin

4th Round

Pick 109: JL Skinner, S, Boise State

If it weren’t for a torn pec that he suffered right before the combine, Skinner would likely be a higher pick. At 6’3 3/4” and 209 pounds, he’s big enough to cover tight ends man-to-man, and he’s versatile with 811 snaps in the box, 623 as a free safety and 336 over the slot during his college career which is something Patrick Graham covets at the position.

Other players considered:

• Dorian Willaims, LB, Tulane
• Kobie Turner, DL, Wake Forest
• K.J. Henry, EDGE, Clemson

Pro Football Focus