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Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams or Amari Cooper

By Jonathan George

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When it comes to the NFL Draft, there are some years where teams love picking in the top ten due to talent levels, team needs or the ability to trade back and get more picks in later rounds. The Oakland Raiders have all kinds of options in this years draft, as they have needs at multiple positions and there are teams that might want to get into the top five to grab a franchise changing player. In the end, however, Oakland might have to decide between two guys that many consider the best at their respective positions: defensive lineman Leonard Williams from USC or wide receiver Amari Cooper from Alabama.

Oct 11, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive end Leonard Williams (right) against Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek at Arizona Stadium. The Trojans defeated the Wildcats 28-26. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Both Williams and Cooper are game changers on their respective sides of the ball. Both guys have been lauded by different experts and fans as the best fits for the Raiders, and both have been rumored to be at the top of the Raiders draft boards. Even though nobody outside the franchise knows who the Raiders will take at 4, or if they will even pick a player instead of trading down, it seems like a no brainer that if Oakland stays in the 4th slot in the 1st round they should settle on one of these two if they are available. A look at the Raiders defensive line and wide receiver corps shows why.

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It’s no secret that Oakland needs receiver help badly. Ranked 26th in overall passing offense in 2014, the Raiders did not have a receiver on the team that came close to sniffing 1,000 yards or double-digit touchdowns last year. Possibly even more telling was their quarterback rating ranking: 30th. Sure, that has mostly to do with a rookie quarterback in Derek Carr, but there is no doubt having an elite receiver on the team would do wonders for the passing attack and, in turn, raise all of these rankings. Cooper is without a doubt the textbook definition of an elite receiver in terms of size, speed and statistics in college.

September 14, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) defends during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at O.co Coliseum. The Texans defeated the Raiders 30-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

So why the debate? Well, the Raiders weren’t exactly world beaters on defense either; In 2014 they were 30th in sacks with 22 even though they added potential phenom Khalil Mack. The average rating by opposing passers was 96.9 – a disappointing 26th in the NFL, and they gave up 29 passing touchdowns, tied for 25th worst. Oakland’s rushing defense wasn’t much better, as teams averaged 4.0 yards a carry and 119.4 yards per game against them.

Clearly, Oakland needs the passing rushing and run stopping abilities a guy like Williams possesses.

In the AFC West, and more importantly today’s NFL, there is a need to be able to put up more than 16 points a game, a number close to what the Raiders averaged in 2014. But with all of these high scoring offenses, they is also a need to be able to limit or even neutralize these offenses with a strong defensive line.

So which side of the ball should the Raiders try to improve at No. 4? I believe their offense needs Cooper more than their defense needs Williams, and the pick should be a wide receiver. But it is up to Reggie McKenzie and the Oakland Raiders management to decide just what player in the draft helps get them the most ready to make a run in the AFC West.

In the end, it may not be either of these guys. But if both are available at No. 4, it would be a nice problem for the Oakland Raiders to have.

Next: Oakland grabs their game changing receiver

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