The 2020 NFL Draft is just over a week away, and the Raiders will play a crucial part in how the first round unfolds.
General manager Mike Mayock and coach Jon Gruden own the Nos. 12 and 19 picks, and must once again stick the landing to continue the upward trajectory of their rebuild.
The Raiders' needs are well-documented, with gaping holes at wide receiver, cornerback and a need on the defensive line. We know Gruden likes quarterbacks, so one of those never is out of the question.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In NBC Sports Bay Area's latest mock draft, Dalton Johnson and Josh Schrock have the Silver and Black selecting Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs with the No. 12 overall pick and trading No. 19 to the Green Bay Packers for the No. 30 pick and the No. 62 selection. The Raiders are projected to select Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrel at No. 30.
Listen and subscribe to the Raiders Talk podcast
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., however, released his latest two-round mock draft Tuesday and went in a different direction. Kiper has the Raiders tabbing Florida cornerback CJ Henderson with the No. 12 pick, and then going off-book at No. 19 by selecting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
The Henderson selection would make perfect sense for the Raiders. After their contract with Eli Apple fell through, the Raiders have a glaring need at corner opposite Trayvon Mullen. Henderson is the second-best cover corner in the draft and his stock reportedly is rising fast.
As for the Love pick, it doesn't compute. Gruden loves to talk to and about quarterbacks. The Raiders have wined and dined Kyler Murray in the past, and they've done their due diligence on Love, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa this year. But Gruden never has taken a quarterback before the third round.
NFL
With Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota on the roster, adding Love wouldn't make a ton of sense. The Raiders have too many other needs to be burning a pick on a quarterback who isn't Herbert, Tagovailoa or, of course, Joe Burrow.
[RELATED: Five bold Raiders predictions for NFL draft]
Gruden has the reputation of a wild card, but Mayock's disciplined approach meshed well with the coach last season and there's no reason to expect 2020 will be any different.