Raiders could barely miss out on the perfect fit in the NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders need an immense amount of help on their defense, as they had one of the worst units on that side of the ball in all of the NFL. Luckily for them, this is a loaded draft when it comes to defense. Now it's just about if they want to use that […]
The Las Vegas Raiders need an immense amount of help on their defense, as they had one of the worst units on that side of the ball in all of the NFL. Luckily for them, this is a loaded draft when it comes to defense.
Now it's just about if they want to use that first pick, pick number seven, on defense, or something else. There are rumors that the Raiders will go after a quarterback and maybe even an offensive lineman, but, I think most people agree it makes the most sense to target secondary guys.
Unfortunately, there is a wide belief that the best secondary guy in the entire draft will be taken the pick before the Raiders, and man, that would be the worst luck for the Raiders.
ESPN's Jason Reid is one analyst that thinks Devon Witherspoon from Illinois will be off the board just before the Raiders pick. He also thinks he is one of the top few cornerbacks in the draft.
Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon had his personal pro day in front of scouts and evaluators for 23 teams on Wednesday. He recorded 40-yard dash times in the 4.41-4.43 range, according to two sources in attendance. Witherspoon opted out of agility drills because of his previous hamstring injury, but he did positional drills. "I thought he looked really, really good," said a scout I spoke with afterward. "We just needed to see that he was past the hamstring injury. The film is solid, but there were some questions about his long speed, and he answered that today." Witherspoon is a contender to be the first cornerback off the board. The Lions have been a popular projected landing spot for him, and their first pick at No. 6 is likely where the CB run could start on draft day. -Jason Reid ESPN
Witherspoon would be great for the Raiders for a few reasons. First of all, he is pro-ready and can come in and instantly be a guy that can lead the secondary on a defense. This is a guy who can be the best cornerback on a team in his first year. For the Raiders, he could be that or the second-best behind Nate Hobbs.
But also, he plays the same style that defensive coordinator Patrick Graham likes. He is physical, has great press and man skills, and can lay out some hits. That has Raiders football written all over it.
If the Raiders want to get back to their winning ways, something they haven't done in over 20 years if we are talking about playoff success, they need to have a great, gritty defense. That starts in the draft with guys like Witherspoon. It just sucks that he could possibly be gone before the Raiders pick because the Lions have the same need.
