Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

NFL mock draft: Early look at Las Vegas Raiders’ picks

LSU wins Peach Bowl

Danny Karnik / Associated Press

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks off the field during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA semifinal college football playoff game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Atlanta.

The NFL playoffs are still going on (for some teams, anyway), but for the Raiders it is now firmly draft season. The Las Vegas franchise is set to have a treasure trove of picks in this year's draft, and though it's way too early to start honing in on exact predictions, a mock draft can be useful in seeing how the board might play out when teams are on the clock.

Let's take a crack at a one-round mock, with particular attention paid to Las Vegas's pair of first-round selections:

No. 1 — Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

This draft card is already filled out, now the Bengals just have to wait a few months to hand it in to the commissioner on draft day. Burrow is a lock to be the top pick.

No. 2 — Washington Redskins

Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Young has the kind of measurables (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) and production (27.0 sacks over the last two years) that would warrant No. 1 overall consideration in most years, but he slots in behind Burrow this year. And that's fine with the Redskins, who can erect a defense around Young's ability to pressure the passer.

No. 3 — Detroit Lions

A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

At 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, Epenesa provides a lot of versatility along the defensive line. He can rush the passer (11.5 sacks in 2019), stop the run and maybe even play in the flat in certain schemes. Matt Patricia's defense could use a player like that in the trenches.

No. 4 — New York Giants

Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

The Giants drafted their franchise QB last year, and now it's time to protect him. Thomas can play at right tackle right away in 2020, then shift over to left tackle in 2021 after the contract of current starter Nate Solder runs out.

No. 5 — Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The Dolphins have a lot of needs — left tackle stands out, in particular — but this may be the highest pick they have during their rebuilding process, so the time to fire away on a quarterback seems to be now. If Tagovailoa is healthy, Miami can grab its QB of the future right here.

No. 6 — Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

With Philip Rivers approaching the end of the line and two quarterbacks already off the board, the Chargers jump to draft the last QB with top-10 shine. Herbert may not be ready to start right away, but he represents the best long-term use of this pick.

No. 7 — Carolina Panthers

Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

Carolina could use some help on the offensive line, but Simmons has too much potential to pass up — especially since the Panthers just lost perennial All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly to retirement. Simmons is the kind of athletic playmaker you can envision lining up against Alvin Kamara twice a year and making a difference.

No. 8 — Arizona Cardinals

Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

The Cardinals ranked 31st in passing yards allowed (281.9 per game) and 28th in passing yards per attempt (7.5), so cornerback is an obvious area in need of an upgrade. Okudah was a unanimous All-America selection and should start right away opposite Patrick Peterson.

No. 9 — Jacksonville Jaguars

Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

After drafting Josh Allen last year, this may seem like a luxury pick for Jacksonville. But star defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is a free agent and could be heading elsewhere. Shoring up the line — even though this wouldn't be a plug-and-play situation, as Brown is more of an inside threat than Ngakoue — seems like a safe move.

No. 10 — Cleveland Browns

Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Despite building a superteam last offseason, the Browns were doomed in part by a weak offensive line. Wirfs should take Cleveland's pass protection in the right direction.

No. 11 — New York Jets

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Jeudy is a precise route-runner who is also explosive enough to make big plays, either down the field or after he gets the ball in his hands on shorter catches. He would be a perfect fit for the Raiders, but in this mock the Jets snipe him one pick earlier.

No. 12 — Las Vegas Raiders

Xavier McKinney, CB, Alabama

The Raiders have a need for a true No. 1 receiver, and there are some tempting options on the board here such as Clemson's Tee Higgins, Alabama's Henry Ruggs and Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb. But Las Vegas is absolutely desperate for help in the secondary, so adding a player like McKinney makes a lot of sense. He can line up at insider corner, outside corner or safety and make plays in the passing game, and when you think about having to defend Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense for the next 12 years, adding a player (or four) like McKinney sounds downright necessary. If not McKinney or a receiver, however, the Raiders could also look to add talent at linebacker with someone like Oklahoma's Kenneth Murray. There's also a possibility that after selecting hard-hitting safety Johnathan Abram in the first-round last year, the Raiders could complement him with an all-around safety like LSU's Grant Delpit.

No. 13 — Indianapolis Colts

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

If there were another franchise-caliber quarterback available here, the Colts might jump. And maybe they end up doing just that, if someone like Utah State's Jordan Love improves his stock before the draft. But if Indianapolis stands pat at QB, upgrading the pass-catching options is a good alternative. Lamb will give the Colts a nasty playmaking threat opposite T.Y. Hilton.

No. 14 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

Assuming the Buccaneers place the franchise tag on Jameis Winston, the top priority will be to improve the offensive line and hope that more time to throw leads to fewer interceptions and sacks. Wills fills that need nicely.

No. 15 — Denver Broncos

Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama

Denver seems sold on quarterback Drew Lock, so now it's time to give him weapons to help him develop while he's on his rookie contract. Ruggs is an instant big-play threat opposite Courtland Sutton.

No. 16 — Atlanta Falcons

K'Lavon Chaisson, OLB, LSU

Chaisson has the perfect physical profile to make an impact as a speed-rusher at the NFL level, especially indoors on turf. The Falcons need someone like that.

No. 17 — Dallas Cowboys

Grant Delpit, S, LSU

The Cowboys' coverage issues seemed to get more pronounced as the season went on. Delpit can command the secondary and take away some of the intermediate routes that ate up the Dallas defense.

No. 18 — Miami Dolphins

Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

After getting Tagovailoa at No. 4, Miami can now turn its attention to keeping him healthy and upright for the next decade. That initiative starts here, by selecting Becton, a 6-foot-7 behemoth who may eventually be better suited to right tackle. But since Tagovailoa is a left-handed thrower, RT is still a premium position for Miami in this scenario.

No. 19 — Las Vegas Raiders

Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

Vegas received this pick from Chicago in the Khalil Mack trade, and if the draft plays out like this, the Raiders will still have plenty of receivers from which to choose when their second first-round selection comes around. Higgins is a high-upside, high-production player who relies more on his size than his speed, so it depends on how coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock value that skill set. If they prefer a speed option, someone like TCU wideout Jalen Reagor could be more attractive. Higgins is the home-run swing. If the Raiders want to double down on the secondary, however — which wouldn't be a bad idea — two elite cornerbacks still available would be Alabama's Trevon Diggs and LSU's Kristian Fulton.

No. 20 — Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

After trading away Jalen Ramsey midseason, the Jaguars can now use one of the picks they received from the Los Angeles Rams to select Ramsey's replacement.

No. 21 — Philadelphia Eagles

Justin Jefferson WR, LSU

Carson Wentz needs someone to catch his passes, because the Eagles ran out of receivers by the end of the 2019 season. Jefferson is a nice, safe fit who should be able to move the chains for the next five years.

No. 22 — Buffalo Bills

Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

Another team looking for a receiver, and another team that will be accommodated by the deep talent pool at that position. Shenault is a good fit as the big-play, bad-weather receiver to pair with quarterback Josh Allen for the next five-plus years.

No. 23 — New England Patriots

Terrell Lewis, OLB, Alabama

New England is devoid of talent at receiver, but the Patriots also have several pending free agents at edge rusher and need to bolster that position. Lewis didn't live up to his preseason hype in 2019, but he's a talented player who can fill multiple roles at defensive end and outside linebacker.

No. 24 — New Orleans Saints

C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida

The Saints were knocked out of the playoffs because they let a receiver get behind the defense in overtime, but even if that weren't the case, it would still make sense for New Orleans to look at secondary help here.

No. 25 — Minnesota Vikings

Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Jones has potential to become a good pass protector, and the Vikings need to give Kirk Cousins as comfortable a pocket as possible in order to compete for the playoffs.

No. 26 — Miami Dolphins

Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin

The Dolphins have secured their future quarterback and their future blindside tackle, and here they can snag the future QB of their offensive line. Pretty good start to a daunting rebuilding project.

No. 27 — Seattle Seahawks

Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

Hall seems perfectly capable of sliding into Pete Carroll's zone coverage system right away, as he's one of the most pro-ready players in the draft.

No. 28 — Baltimore Ravens

J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State

Using a first-round pick on a running back is usually a bad idea — unless you're the Ravens and your entire franchise is built around running the ball. Lead back Mark Ingram will be 31 next year, and he couldn't make it to the end of the 2019 season healthy. Baltimore could cut him with a minimal cap hit after this year, so it may be time to grab a plug-and-play replacement in Dobbins.

No. 29 — Tennessee Titans

Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford

The Titans like to deploy two tight ends, and while Jonnu Smith will be just 25 next year, veteran Delanie Walker will be 36. Parkinson can step in and assume most of Walker's duties.

No. 30 — Green Bay Packers

K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State

Green Bay has a No. 1 receiver Davante Adams, but the 5-foot-9 Hamler could be a perfect complement in the slot. He'd go a long way toward bringing back a big-play element to the Packers' offense.

No. 31 — Kansas City Chiefs

Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina

Star defensive tackle Chris Jones could be moving on as a free agent at the end of the season, so Kinlaw could move right in as a penetrating interior rusher.

No. 32 — San Francisco 49ers

Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

Even the team with the NFL's best roster has some weaknesses, and San Francisco can try to shore up their cornerback situation with an experienced cover man like Johnson.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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