The Oakland Raiders were not a good pass defense in 2015. They allowed the seventh-most passing yards per game (258.8) in the league while surrendering 25 touchdowns through the air and allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 63 percent of their passes. Midseason addition David Amerson helped at cornerback, but former first rounder D.J. Hayden has failed to live up to expectations and the retirement of Charles Woodson leaves yet another hole to fill.
These needs may (read: should) be addressed by general manager Reggie McKenzie in free agency, as the Raiders must spend $41 million just to reach the league's salary cap floor. However, Oakland would also benefit by investing draft picks into the position and developing their own young talent. That is why Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple is a possibility with the No. 14 overall pick in the NFL draft.
"Cornerback is a major need for the Raiders, which should be addressed in free agency and the draft," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. wrote in his Mock Draft 2.0. "Apple is going to deal with some growing pains because he needs to be better from a technical standpoint and not so reliant on his physical ability, but he has coveted above-average size and tremendous potential."
Apple's 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame will attract plenty of interest as the draft draws closer. His long arms contributed to his 22 defended passes over the last two seasons and his competitive nature has been praised by scouts. However, his tackling is far from a sure thing and he resorts to grabbing when he feels he's being beat (four holding and seven pass interference penalties from 2014-2015). He'll have to improve his fundamentals after entering the league.
NFL.com compares Apple to Los Angeles Rams 2012 third-rounder Trumaine Johnson, who just led the team in picks with seven. Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson as the 16th best cornerback in the NFL in 2015 and credited him with holding opposing QBs to the lowest passer rating of any CB in the league last year (49.7). The Raiders would be pleased if Apple could provide similar returns.
