Oakland Raiders: 7-Round 2018 mock draft pre-Combine
By Randy Gurzi
Round 4: Duke Dawson, CB, Florida
Back on the clock in Round 4, the Raiders again look to the defensive side of the fooball in this mock draft. Their choice here is Duke Dawson, the 5-11, 200-pound corner from the Florida Gators.
Dawson has no problem getting physical and showed a knack for finding the ball in his senior season when he had four interceptions. He could still improve as highlighted by Jon Dove from With the First Pick.
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"Dawson tends to play too much with his hands by grabbing receivers several yards down field. He also lacks the ball skills and timing to be effective in contested situations. His speed is the one thing that gives him upside in man coverage."
Dove also says Dawson would be better served in a zone defense, which is something new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther did at times while with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Adding him helps build depth at a position they hope to see a lot of improvement from in 2018. In 2017, they drafted Gareon Conley out of Ohio State in the opening round and got just two games from him. His ability to get on the field will help them get better and Dawson offers them another young guy to develop.