Raiders Draft Preview: Pick or Pass – Big Board

Jeff Spiegel
Jeff Spiegel
8 Min Read
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Patrick Surtain II (2) against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Alright, with just a few days until the 2021 NFL Draft, there are just two pieces left to round out our “Pick or Pass” series: a big board and a seven-round mock draft. Here I’ll give you my list of the top 30 players on my board, broken down into tiers and with a clear line of when I go from “PICK” to “PASS.”

Trevor Lawrence
Jan 1, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) attempts a pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Tier 1 

1) Trevor Lawrence

2) Penei Sewell

The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a chance of getting either of these guys, but they’re on their own level as far as I’m concerned. Lawrence is a generational quarterback prospect, while the 20-year-old Sewell will be an All-Pro tackle for the next decade and a half.

DeVonta Smith
Jan. 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) runs upfield after catching a pass behind the defense of Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Shaun Wade (24) during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network
Ncaa Football Cfp National Championship Ohio State Vs Alabama

Tier 2

3) Ja’marr Chase

4) Kyle Pitts

5) DeVonta Smith

6) Rashawn Slater

7) Micah Parsons

This is the “one can dream” tier. I know the Raiders don’t need another pass-catcher, but if you had a chance at Chase, Pitts or Smith (they won’t), you send the pick in and figure everything out later. Slater is the second-best offensive lineman in the draft, and if you think he can stick at tackle, then he’d be a great fit. Finally, Parsons, while a luxury item at linebacker for a Raider defense with a lot of holes elsewhere, would be a steal at No. 17 if the off-the-field stuff checks out. Could the Raiders move up to grab a guy like Slater or Parsons? Depending on the cost, I wouldn’t be THAT opposed.

Patrick Surtain II
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Patrick Surtain II (2) against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tier 3

8) Christian Darrisaw

9) Patrick Surtain II

10) Jalen Waddle

Here’s where the realistic names start to surface. Darrisaw is a guy I really like and would love to see fall to No. 17. I didn’t talk much about Surtain, but like Parsons, he would be a best-player-available type pick as you can never have too many cornerbacks. Waddle is a notch below Smith and Chase for me, but still: if he’s there? Why not.

Zach Wilson
Dec 22, 2020; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Zach Wilson (1) scrambles with the ball against the UCF Knights during the first half at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Tier 4

11) Justin Fields

12) Trey Lance

13) Zach Wilson

These three are the toughest to slot for a team like the Raiders, given that they already have a quarterback they like. Then again, if you think any of these guys can be a franchise quarterback, you’d have to consider it. None of this matters, though, because all three will be LONG gone by the time the Raiders are on the clock. 

Christian Barmore
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore (58) tackles Ohio State running back Master Teague III (33) during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Sports

Tier 5

14) Christian Barmore

15) Jaelan Phillips

16) Gregory Rousseau

17) Teven Jenkins

18) Jaycee Horn

Here’s the realistic range of Raider picks. This is a group of guys that I’m not jumping up and down about, but it still gets a positive grade from me. We’re getting into the range of “I’d rather trade down,” but we’re not quite there yet. Horn didn’t get written up either, but like Surtain, I’ll never complain about having too many really good corners.

Alijah Vera-Tucker
Dec 18, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) during the Pac-12 Championship against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Oregon defeated USC 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

TRADE DOWN

Tier 6

19) Alijah Vera-Tucker

20) Greg Newsome

21) Levi Onwuzurike

22) Elijah Molden

23) Trevon Moehrig

24) Richie Grant

25) Jason Oweh

26) Jamin Davis

27) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

If these are the only names left on the board for the Raiders at No. 17, then I’d be praying for a trade-down. Not to say these guys wouldn’t make the Raiders better in 2021 — they absolutely would — but the value isn’t necessarily perfect, even if they plug a hole on the current roster. Newsome and Molden are two more corners, with Molden more of a slot corner / free safety type. I know a lot of people like Moehrig or Grant, but No. 17 is way too rich for my blood as I don’t think the gap between them and a guy like Holland (see below) is all that big.

Landon Dickerson
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Landon Dickerson (69) celebrates after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tier 7

28) Landon Dickerson

29) Caleb Farley

30) Jevon Holland

This is where we start talking about dream candidates for the second round. Dickerson is strictly an interior lineman and is coming off a major knee injury, while Farley was once thought to be the best cornerback in this draft before opting out last season and announcing he just recently had some sort of back procedure. Holland also opted out last season but is the type of play-making free safety the Raiders could desperately use alongside Johnathan Abram.

Information

Jeff Spiegel was raised in California but currently resides in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he worked in sports before entering journalism full time — first as a Sports Reporter and then as the Associate Editor of a small newspaper. Online, he has been writing about both the Raiders and Dodgers since 2012 — having written for DodgersNation.com and SBNation.com prior to joining both DodgerBlue.com and RaidersNewswire.com. He left full-time journalism in 2012 to become a pastor. Jeff can be found on Twitter at @JeffSpiegel. Favorite Raider This one is an easy one for me: Charles Woodson. When the Raiders drafted him, there was nothing to dislike about the guy — he was exciting and he was freaking good. Unfortunately, of course, he left after eight seasons — but when he returned in 2013 it was one of the better Raider moments of my lifetime. At that point, I didn't care how washed he was (and he wasn't!) — I just liked having him back in the silver and black. Obviously Tim Brown is another guy that was easy to love, but Woodson is the all-timer for me. As far as current, I'm still a believer in Derek Carr and think he's going to figure this all out. Favorite Raider Moment I think I'll go with the two weeks leading up to the 2001 Super Bowl. As a kid, I remember getting the newspaper every morning to read what they were talking about, clipping out the articles to keep for later. It was obviously far more exciting than the Super Bowl itself, but I'll never forget those moments of hope leading up to the Super Bowl. I referenced it above, but second to that was probably the return of Charles Woodson in 2013 — I just loved the guy, and never dreamed he'd actually come back.