Just yesterday, I put out the piece assessing the condition of the defensive tackle position for the Raiders. And it wasn’t good. In short, they absolutely need to add an interior pass rush and could potentially have a need for two interior defensive linemen this offseason.
Not to say any of the prominent mock drafting minds out there were reading, but the next day two of them put out mock drafts that had the Raiders going after that interior presence.
First, it was Dane Brugler of The Athletic who had the Raiders going with Alabama DT Christian Barmore.
Now, Matt Miller has chimed in. The longtime well-respected draft guru has started his own site called The Draft Scout and in the site’s debut mock draft, he has the Raiders looking to fix their interior pass rush problems at 17 overall.
The Pick: DL DAVIYON NIXON, IOWA
Analysis: The middle of the defense continues to be a massive issue for the Las Vegas Raiders; so much so that multiple picks to address the infield could be in play.
With their first pick in the draft, the Raiders take the first defensive tackle of the board with Iowa’s super-athletic Daviyon Nixon.
Turn on the tape of Nixon and the first thing you see is his first-step quickness. He’s explosive and a natural, easy mover. But he’s also very good against the run—stacking blockers, using his hands and dominating with his activeness. Nixon is a complete defensive tackle but as a redshirt junior he still has big upside.
The Raiders could dip into the linebacker or safety market here, but pairing Nixon with Maxx Crosby is too juicy to pass up.
In the most recent mock draft database, Barmore was the only defensive tackle anyone had going to the Raiders. And it was the third most picked position behind linebacker and defensive end.
