Every day, we see more mock drafts in which the Raiders draft a defensive tackle at pick No.4, rather than an edge rusher. While that certainly isn’t ideal for Oakland, if Nick Bosa and Josh Allen are off the board, it’s likely the best option.
In Charley Casserly’s first mock of the season at NFL.com, he gave Oakland star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams from Alabama after three edge rushers were selected with the first three picks (Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, and Rashan Gary). Take a look at his other three selections for the Raiders in the first round:
No.4 – DT Quinnen Williams, Alabama
No.24 – LB Devin Bush, Michigan
No.27 – CB Trayvon Mullen, Clemson
Quinnen Williams isn’t an edge rusher, but he is arguably the best player in the class and would instantly improve the Raiders’ pass-rush. Pairing him with Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall would give Oakland one of the best interior defensive lines in the NFL.
At pick No.24, the Raiders selected linebacker Devin Bush from Michigan. This is an ideal pick as Bush might be the draft’s best linebacker and would fill another need for the Raiders. Bush doesn’t have elite size, but his speed is something the Raiders’ defense is missing. If the Raiders were fortunate enough to select Bush, he would be the team’s best linebacker from the first day of camp.
Finally, Casserly gave the Raiders cornerback Trayvon Mullen at the bottom of the first round. Mullen projects to be a man-to-man cornerback in the NFL and given his athletic profile, he would make for a fantastic fit opposite of Gareon Conley. At pick No.27, it’s tough to complain about this selection.
Overall, this would be a fantastic mock draft for the Raiders as they would acquire three players who could start in Week 1 in 2019. Williams and Bush are arguably the best players in the draft at their respective positions and Mullen isn’t far behind either.
