With Vontaze Burfict suspended for the rest of the 2019 season, the Oakland Raiders have a problem at linebacker. Again. It’s a position that has haunted the team for the past decade as they just haven’t been able to find anyone to man the spot consistently for more than a season or two.
Luckily for Oakland, they may be able to address that need during the 2020 NFL draft as they have two picks in the first round. One player the team could target is Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, who racked up 155 tackles in 2018. He was a recent selection in Luke Easterling’s latest mock draft at the Draft Wire:
On defense, the Raiders’ biggest hole is in the middle, where they desperately need a three-down playmaker who can set the tone for the rest of the unit. Murray is a game-changer on the field who can make big plays against both the run and pass, and a difference-maker in the locker room.
Murray is one of the most athletic linebackers in all of the 2020 draft class and would be an ideal fit in Paul Guenther’s defense. If he is available in the mid-portion of the first-round, Murray would be a slam-dunk pick for the Raiders in Round 1.
