The Raiders are a few years into a major roster reconstruction, with a tear down done in 2018 and a subsequent rebuild underway. The 2019 NFL Draft class established a solid foundation, with six players filling major roles at premium positions.
Young free agents have come aboard the last two offseasons that should help lead a new era of Raiders football. A few glaring holes remain, spots that can be filled Thursday night in the first round of the draft.
The Raiders own the Nos. 12 and 19 overall picks, valuable draft slots to fix roster issues or move around the draft board and lock down a coveted player or players.
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How they’re used will have a great impact on the Raiders as they enter their first season playing in Las Vegas. Nail these early picks and the Raiders will find themselves in playoff contention in the AFC. Swing and miss on both and life gets a lot harder in a stacked AFC West led by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Ideally, the Raiders will come away with a receiver, either a cornerback or a defensive tackle and an extra pick or two following a trade down from the 19th spot.
There will be supreme talent available at the No. 12 spot earned with a 7-9 record last season. The 19th spot is the last major return from the Khalil Mack trade. They already snagged running back Josh Jacobs with a pick given up by the Chicago Bears, with a second-first rounder in their lap on Thursday night.
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Owning multiple first-round picks comes with great power and great responsibility, making this as important of a day as any for this franchise forming its identity under Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock.
They could use the picks as slotted or even trade them for an established player like Jacksonville’s Yannik Ngakoue. Multiple reports have stated the Raiders are kicking the tires on such a move, possible in a straight swap for the No. 19 pick.
Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville, unhappy with getting franchise tagged this offseason. He got into a Twitter spat with ownership earlier this week, making it crystal clear he wants out.
Acquiring such a young talent, likely for a premium price, would be odd considering the Raiders didn’t feel comfortable paying Mack a few years back. It also doesn’t directly address needs at receiver and in the defensive backfield.
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Stacking quality drasft classes is the purest form of roster reconstruction, adding the depth and star quality to a team under affordable rookie contracts. The Raiders absolutely nailed last year’s draft. Doing so again, with Mayock at the conn, would set up the Raiders well for a period of sustained success.
A few early mistakes wouldn’t be a death sentence, especially if the Raiders nail later selections as they did a year ago. There is a golden opportunity here to make big moves and fortify an improving young roster that has improved significantly over recent seasons.