As much as the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterbacks have struggled over the past two seasons, their ground game has been worse. The Raiders finished last in rushing yards per game this past season and were only marginally better the season prior with Josh Jacobs leading the way.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently released his mock draft featuring first round picks for every team in the National Football League. He projected the Raiders to address many of their most pressing needs in the draft one by one, starting with their group of runnings.
Las Vegas traded for Geno Smith, securing a starting quarterback. Giving him a running back such as Jeanty would take some of the pressure off of Smith in his first season with a new team. Jeanty improving the running game would make the entire Raiders offense run smoother.
“It’s no secret new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll wants to run the ball. Jeanty will likely pound the rock 20-25 times a game without hesitation, running through contact and exploding for big gains in the open field,” Reuter said.
Reuter projects the Raiders to use their second round pick to address their cornerback position. This would be a wise move as the Raiders are thin at the position and adding a player such as Trey Amos from Mississippi State could help solidify the Raiders’ group of cornerbacks even more.
Las Vegas is one injury away to any of the cornerbacks currently on their roster from having another disappointing season on their hands. With as many new pieces that the Raiders have moving around, they must address the cornerback position more thoroughly.
In the third round, Reuter projects the Raiders to select quarterback Jalen Milroe from Alabama. This would give the Raiders a running back, a cornerback and a quarterback within the first few rounds of the draft. The picks will be different but the mode of thinking here is accurate.
T
he Raiders have a long way to go to turn things around. However, Smith in addition to a solid draft haul could spark a turn around to for the Raiders this season.
