Raiders need to go defense heavy at draft with Lynch set to join backfield
It's finally happening.
Marshawn Lynch is set to join the Oakland Raiders any moment now, as he is reportedly nearing a deal with the team.
With his powerful style essentially completing the Raiders' offense for the 2017 season, Oakland's chances of competing for a championship are looking really good, but there are still holes to fill in the league's 26th-ranked defense from 2016.
The Raiders can use help at cornerback, linebacker, interior defensive line, and safety. All of those positions, you may have noticed, are on the defensive side of the ball.
Luckily, this year's draft class is loaded with defensive talent, and the Raiders can easily afford to try filling those positions with every pick they've got now that running back isn't a need.
General manager Reggie McKenzie is armed with his team's original draft pick in every round, as well as an extra seventh-rounder, which could very well be used to swap for Lynch. McKenzie did a hell of a job at last year's draft matching need with best player available to find several contributing pieces.
His job may be a little more straight forward this year with foreseeable additions at each position of need to correlate with his selections.
Cornerback
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As it stands, the Raiders are set to start 29-year-old Sean Smith and David Amerson at cornerback. With Smith struggling to cover top receivers - especially the fast ones - and Amerson potentially more suited for the slot, strengthening the position in the first two rounds would be ideal.
With the 24th overall pick, LSU's Tre'Davious White or Ohio State's Gareon Conley both have the speed and outside coverage abilities to mesh nicely in the Raiders' secondary.
If USC's Adoree Jackson is still on the board when the Raiders get on the clock with the 56th overall pick, he may be a bit of a no-brainer selection as his exceptional speed would pair well with Smith on the outside.
Another southern California prospect, Fabian Moreau out of UCLA, would also be a quality fit, if Jackson is gone.
Linebacker
The middle of Oakland's defense looks ready to be exposed with Ben Heeney and Tyrell Adams projected to start at middle and weakside linebacker, respectively. Thankfully, it isn't so difficult to find competent interior linebackers in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft.
Ohio State's Raekwon McMillan would be a steal if he is still available in the second round, though chances he's not taken by then are slim.
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A better way to go for McKenzie could be targeting the LSU linebacker duo of Duke Riley and Kendall Beckwith.
Riley will likely be a second-rounder and is ideally suited to play as a weakside backer in a 4-3 like the Raiders run. Beckwith is a late third-round, early fourth-round prospect that may slide due to tearing his ACL in December, but could be a solid presence in the middle.
Interior D-line
The edges of the Raiders' front seven are loaded with speed and pass-rushing ability, but the interior needs to toughen up - so a plus 300-pounder would be nice.
Clemson's Carlos Watkins can play as a three-technique beside nose tackle Dan Williams. The Raiders would likely need to use their third-round pick on Watkins, but could go with a bigger risk-reward prospect in the fourth or fifth round.
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Notre Dame's Jarron Jones, probably a fifth-round pick, needs someone to teach him about hard work and dedication to get the most out of his talents. UCLA's Eddie Vanderdoes has been hobbled by an ACL tear suffered in 2015 and could use some conditioning help, but may pay off big if he's taken in the fourth or fifth round.
Safety
The Raiders went out and got a safety in the first round last year, selecting Karl Joseph 14th overall, and could go back to that trend again this year.
Safety is one of the deepest positions in this year's crop, and Oakland could look to add a ball hawk anywhere in the first four rounds to replace an aging Reggie Nelson.
Super-athlete Obi Melifonwu out of Connecticut or hard-hitter Budda Baker out of Washington would be solid first-rounders. NC State's Josh Jones or Iowa's Desmond King, a converted cornerback, would be good fits in the second round.
On the third day of the draft, John Johnson out of Boston College or Jadar Johnson form Clemson may end up being surprisingly productive fifth-round picks.
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McKenzie should be sitting pretty with so many talented players scattered throughout the draft at positions he's looking to fill.
Weighing out needs with best players available and projecting which prospects will be around at later rounds will be a challenge, but Raiders fans should have faith that McKenzie will come away with an improved roster.