Oakland Raiders should target Vernon Hargreaves III in draft
The Oakland Raiders need to add another play-maker to their defensive secondary. They should target cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III to develop him for a very bright future.
Make no mistake about it, the Raiders will indeed be one of the teams to watch not just in the AFC West but across the football world. They’re an up-and-coming team that have been strategically building their team for a big run over the past few years that could very well happen this upcoming season.
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So far this offseason, the Raiders have made some nice acquisitions and will do their very best to bounce back from their 7-9 record of last year. In my most recent mock draft, I have the Raiders easily taking Hargreaves due to everything he brings to the table as he’ll still be available when they’re on the clock.
Don’t let his size fool you, Hargreaves is easily an impact player that fits in perfectly to the Raiders’ defensive secondary. At 5’10 and 204 pounds, Hargreaves might lack the ideal size of a typical cornerback but he could be developed to take his game to the next level with the right coaching and training.
It’s imperative the Raiders add more talent to their defensive secondary to fill the huge void left by safety Charles Woodson. With their No. 14 overall pick in this year’s draft, Hargreaves is an easy choice as he’s been known to be a play-maker that might not make a ton of interceptions but has a keen defensive skill-set to disrupt passes.
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In his collegiate career at Florida, Hargreaves totaled 121 tackles, 10 interceptions and 27 passes defensed.
He knows how to tip passes right out of the hands of opposing receivers and does so with such a precision that quarterbacks will have to second guess throwing in his direction.
The Raiders need players like him to push the envelope come next season. They had a great offseason so far and a stellar draft class led by Hargreaves will only solidify a team ready to make some noise in 2016. Combine the fact that they just signed cornerback Sean Smith to their secondary, Hargreaves could be developed slowly to really hone his craft as he transitions into the NFL.
Hargreaves might very well drop to the No. 14 overall pick due to his lack of size and the fact that many teams don’t have him high up on their draft boards. At the end of the day, size isn’t everything but if a player can make plays and be a consistent all-around defender, that is what ultimately wins plenty of football games. Hargreaves has a tremendous upside that the Raiders could benefit from for years to come.
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If it’s anything that the current Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos taught the football world is that defense wins championships. On the offensive side of the football the Raiders are loaded with explosive talent ready to make a statement next season. Now with their bolstered defense and hopefully using their first-round draft pick on Hargreaves, it could be the big move that puts everything together to field a complete and competitive team that could surprise many in 2016.