Oakland Raiders: 7-Round 2018 mock draft after first wave of free agency

After taking one elite-level Alabama defender in the first round, the Oakland Raiders go back to the National Championship defense with their second-round selection of this mock draft.

Da’Ron Payne is a rock-solid defensive tackle with a safe floor and some serious upside at the next level. He is an extremely powerful player who can absolutely dominate in the middle of the defensive line. Payne shows high-level on-field awareness, consistently putting himself in a strong position to make plays against the run. He understands leverage well and has the length and power to consistently eat up double teams.

Payne’s ability as a big and powerful run stuffing defensive tackle is obvious. However, he is not just a space eater on the inside. Payne shows nice quickness and athleticism on the interior. Pairing that with his obvious strength and power gives Payne some serious interior pass rush upside at the next level.

The Raiders need to find some solid and stable defensive linemen to add to their mix. Justin Ellis is a decent veteran option on the inside and Eddie Vanderdoes flashed a bit of upside last season, but Oakland desperately needs to add depth to their interior defensive line.

Payne is a ready-made NFL defensive tackle who can come in and make a huge contribution right away. Snagging him in the second round would be a big-time addition for the Oakland Raiders.