Over the last four months, the Raiders have been routinely mocked a receiver somewhere in the first round. Typically, the CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy are given to Las Vegas at pick No. 12. However, we haven’t seen many mocks in which the Raiders completely pass on the position in the first round.
But that was the case in Pete Prisco’s latest mock draft at CBS Sports as he had the Raiders passing on all of the top receivers at No. 12 in favor of cornerback CJ Henderson from Florida. Check out Prisco’s reasoning behind the selection:
They have to get an upgrade at corner. The defense has made strides in free agency, but a top corner is lacking. Henderson is an outstanding cover player.
It’s not hard to understand the logic of this pick as Henderson is an elite athlete that fills a position of need. The cornerback position doesn’t stretch as far as the receiver position does, so grabbing Henderson at No. 12 does make a lot of sense.
But it’s the following pick at No. 19 that doesn’t make a ton of sense. Prisco gave the Raiders quarterback Jordan Love form Utah State over the likes of Denzel Mims and Justin Jefferson.
If the Raiders were going to pick a quarterback in the first round, it’s highly unlikely they would pass on him at No. 12 if they believed he was a future franchise quarterback. There is no reason to risk the possibility of another team jumping them for Love.
Don’t be shocked if the Raiders do go with Henderson at No. 12, but it would be a total shock if they ignored receiver in the first round altogether.
