The Oakland Raiders have a massive AFC West game tonight against the Los Angeles Chargers, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the NFL Draft. And with the Chicago Bears struggling, the Raiders currently have two picks inside of the top-20.
In Pro Football Focus’ latest mock draft, the site has the Raiders’ selecting defensive end A.J. Epenesa from Iowa. Epenesa is a massive defensive end who can play on either side, given his strength and power. Take a look at why PFF believes he would be a great fit with the Raiders:
Epenesa has underwhelmed in a full-time role, but at 6-foot-5, 277 pounds with freakish power, we’ll bank on the high-end we’ve seen already. His 90.4 pass-rushing grade in 2018 is one of the highest we’ve ever seen from a true sophomore.
While Oakland selected two defensive ends in the 2019 draft (Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby), don’t be surprised if they use one of their first-round pics to add to the position. Epenesa would be a fantastic fit with Ferrell as he is an elite run stopper who can be moved all across the defensive line.
Expect the Iowa defensive end to be on the shortlist of players the Raiders consider in April’s draft.
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