We are nearly halfway through the 2020 NFL season but that doesn’t prevent us from looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft. With their offense set for the foreseeable future, the Raiders are expected to address their defense over the offseason.
In a recent mock draft by Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, he has the Raiders addressing their defensive line early in the draft. At pick No. 17, he has Las Vegas selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Here is what Miller had to say about the potential pairing:
The first interior defensive lineman to come off the board goes to a perfect home, as the Las Vegas Raiders fill their biggest need and land the draft’s best player at the position.
Davis, a junior nose tackle who runs the Georgia defensive line, would answer the call to tie up the middle of the field and free the Raiders’ outside pass-rushers to get into the backfield and make splash plays. Davis also helps in a division with very good, young quarterbacks who tend to be at their best when they can step up in the pocket.
The Raiders could use some youth on their interior defensive line this offseason as Maliek Collins is set to hit free agency. Maurice Hurst will also enter the final year of his rookie contract and the Raiders could use some more size up front.
However, if the Raiders do pick a defensive tackle in the first round, look for them to target a pass-rushing defender, rather than a nose tackle type. But it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on Davis over the next few months as he is a near-lock to end up as a first-round selection.
