What should Oakland do with their 3 first round picks?


Oakland shook the NFL to it's core last offseason when they traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for 2 first round picks (2019 and 2020). Then, in the middle of the season with their season going up in flames, traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to Dallas for another 1st round pick. Now Oakland comes into the season with the uncommon circumstance of having 3 first round picks. This is a huge opportunity for Raider's GM Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to really change the direction this franchise has been going for many years. They've already made some significant changes to the roster, Trading for star receiver Antonio Brown to be the focal point of their offense, and also signing guys like Trent Brown, LaMarcus Joyner and Tyrell Williams in free agency. In a division where you already have two great teams in the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland needs to get a lot more talented very quickly. Here's exactly how I would use the three picks Oakland has in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Rd.1 #4 overall Devin White LB, LSU

The Raiders need to get faster in the middle of the field on defense. They might have actually made their defense slower by adding linebacker Vontaze Burfict after he was released by Cincinnati. Devin White is about as close as anybody can get to a perfect linebacker prospect and it showed, dominating a tough SEC conference and winning the 2018 Butkus Award, awarded to the best linebacker in the country. I've seen a lot of Raiders fans and draft experts say they should be drafting defensive lineman in the early first round but 2018 draft picks Maurice Hurst and PJ Hall both played very well last season so I don't see that spot as a big concern. White would not only be the safe choice, but the right choice as well.

Rd.1 #24 overall Byron Murphy, Washington 

So we've added a tough and speedy linebacker to anchor the middle of the field for the next 10 years for Oakland. So why not add a great cornerback to pair with Gareon Conley! Murphy is the best cornerback in this draft in my opinion. So technically sound and extremely quick. Teams will drop him down draft boards because of his size but his toughness and ball-hawking skills make up for all of that. Raiders currently have Nelson Nick as their next corner on the depth chart so they definitely need to upgrade the position.

Rd.1 #27 overall Josh Jacobs RB, Alabama

We finally decide to go offense in the draft, I was very tempted to go defense again but with Jon Gruden in Oakland, you know he's gonna want at least one of these picks on the offensive side of the ball. With Marshawn Lynch gone, Oakland needs a bell-cow type running back and Jacobs fits the bill. A violent and powerful runner but enough speed to get away from defenders. Jacobs was a player that was talked about in the top 15 picks of the draft, but as more and more teams filled their running back needs in free agency, Jacobs slid down the draft into the 20s. Where teams like Philadelphia and Oakland have shown interest. Philadelphia has recently traded for Jordan Howard so I wouldn't expect them to spend a 1st round pick on another running back. Getting a player like Jacobs and putting him into an offense with Antonio Brown should help both of these players out. With a dynamic running back and an elite receiver in the offense, opposing defenses will have to play a more balanced type of defense and not just load the box to stop Jacobs.

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