Oakland Raiders: 7-Round 2018 mock draft pre-Combine

Round 2: Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn

One move I was incredibly critical of in 2017 was the trade the Raiders made with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire running back Marshawn Lynch. While “Beast Mode” has a great reputation on the field, he plays a position that isn’t kind to age.

Lynch also was out of football for a season after retiring following an injury-plagued 2015 year with Seattle. He then came back as a 30-year old back and his stats were fine. Even so, he seemed to make more noise by dancing on the sideline to irritate opponents and was suspended for a game as he ran onto the field to get into a fight — and help a member of the Kansas City Chiefs rather than his own team.

It’s time to move on from him as another year of wear and tear will only slow him down more. Instead of trotting out the old guy, Oakland can grab a bruising back like Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson.

The 215-pound back broke out in 2017 with 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns. He added 24 receptions to prove he can be a factor in that portion of the game as well.

Johnson is a shifty back, who doesn’t win with his speed, but rather with his quick movements. He’s also incredibly hard to bring down in the open field and isn’t as big of a personality as Lynhc, which is a good thing on such a young roster.