USC defensive end Leonard Williams may be the best bet for the Oakland Raiders' with the No. 4 pick of the 2015 NFL draft. According to ESPN's Mel Kiper, Williams is the safest top-five pick heading into the upcoming draft.
Williams topped Kiper's list of the safest picks in this year's draft, with Kiper projecting him to be one of the first five players off the board.
"I know some think (Washington defensive tackle) Danny Shelton is a safer defensive lineman as a pure oversized clogger in the middle, but Williams is a devastating run-defender who controls multiple gaps and creates a push of penetration regardless of where he lines up," Kiper wrote Monday. "He's safe because of the scheme versatility and the fact that he hasn't even fully developed as a pass-rusher yet."
Oakland of course needs a receiver. Kiper's draft earlier in March had the Tennessee Titans selecting Williams with the No. 2 pick and Oakland going with West Virginia receiver Kevin White, but ESPN analyst Todd McShay disagrees. In his latest mock draft, McShay projected the Raiders would forego a wideout and select USC's 6-foot-4, 302-pound lineman.
"Kevin White is an option here, as wide receiver is the Raiders' top need ... But defensive end is arguable (sic) the team's second-biggest need, and Williams is an excellent value here as the best all-around defensive player in the draft," McShay wrote Monday. "He's an impact performer against the run and the pass, and has the versatility to play multiple roles along Oakland's defensive front."
It'd be interesting to see what Oakland would do, though, if Alabama receiver Amari Cooper were still on the board when the Raiders go on the clock. Kiper indicated Cooper was the No. 2 safest pick on the draft, but according to McShay, Cooper won't slip past the Jacksonville Jaguars at the No. 3 spot.
