Believe it or not, we are just 13 days away from the 2021 NFL draft. As we inch closer and closer to the first round, it feels likely that the Raiders will use their top pick to address their offensive line.
That belief is starting to become a national thought as ESPN’s Todd McShay recently wrote about every team’s top draft need. For the Raiders, it’s offensive tackle and he believes the team will go that direction in Round 1.
Here is a snippet of McShay’s thoughts on the Raiders and their biggest draft need in his piece:
“What was once a strength is now a big weakness. The Raiders tore down their offensive line this offseason, with Trent Brown, Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson all exiting. Nick Martin is expected to fill Hudson’s role at center, but it’s safe to assume Derek Carr is crossing his fingers that coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock address tackle and guard here.”
The Raiders will likely have several intriguing options at No. 17, including Christian Darrisaw, Teven Jenkins and Alijah Vera-Tucker. It’s also possible that they could wait until Round 2 to address this need and hope that someone like Alex Leatherwood or Liam Eichenberg would fall to them at pick No. 48.
Either way, expect the Raiders to address their offensive line early in the 2021 NFL draft.
