Bad teams typically have a lot of needs. It's not a knock or an insult, it's just an unfortunate fact of football. Although the Oakland Raiders have some nice pieces in place - Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and D.J. Hayden all look like potential building blocks - they still have several areas of weakness. Specially, wide receiver, defensive end, cornerback and safety appear to be in need of some serious talent upgrades.
That's why it's not a surprise that ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. projects the Raiders to address a few of those needs in his latest three-round Mock Draft. In it, Kiper has the Raiders selecting Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (No. 4), Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith (No. 35) and TCU linebacker Paul Dawson (No. 68).
"Adding Michael Crabtree in free agency this month doesn't really change anything here," Kiper wrote. "Crabtree is a side dish, Cooper is the steak. He's the No. 1 wide receiver in the draft, and I think he'll enter camp as the most talented (and arguably the most polished) player on our roster. And anybody saying Cooper is something akin to a 'reliable possession receiver' for Derek Carr simply hasn't watched the tape; he's much more than that. We're pretty thin at defensive end, and Smith can help right away because, like the pick we nailed last year (Khalil Mack), Smith is outstanding against the run, where he plays with leverage and awareness. Dawson is a good value at No. 68, and I expect him to beat out Miles Burris at middle linebacker. I'd really like to find a cornerback, but when the Jags took P.J. Williams one pick ahead of us at No. 67, Dawson became the choice. We'll take some shots on the secondary on Day 3."
The Raiders have long been linked to Cooper in the pre-draft process. Adding weapons to help Carr's development appears to be a priority in Oakland. The team's leading receiver last year didn't even break 700 yards.
Beefing up the defense with Smith and Dawson will also help nudge this team closer to their first .500 season since 2011. Oakland managed just 22 total sacks last year. For comparison, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston notched 22 all by himself.
These picks definitely help in need areas for the Raiders.
The NFL Draft will kick off on April 30.
