Oakland Raiders: 7-Round 2019 mock draft after free agency first wave
By Cory Kinnan
Round 5, Pick 140: Sutton Smith, EDGE, Northern Illinios
Sutton Smith is listed as an edge rusher in this year’s draft class, but it would not be a surprise to see him transition into an off-ball linebacker, similar to the move that Cleveland Browns linebacker Joe Schobert made in his second year in the league.
Ranking in the first percentile size-wise of all the edge rushers at the combine, it would do Smith a disservice to stick it out at that position at just 6-0 233 pounds. He has the athleticism to make it work as a linebacker, running a 4.69-second 40-yard dash, and showing his lateral quickness by ranking in the 92nd percentile in the 3-cone drill.
Smith also performed the on-field linebacker drills in Indianapolis and looked incredibly smooth in his backpedal and breaks. If Smith were smart, he would begin watching film of Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner at this moment.
With Nick Morrow, Jason Cabinda, and Marquel Lee all struggling at the second level in 2018, the Raiders need to make moves to improve that position this offseason. The Raiders pick him here in the fifth round in hopes of grooming him as an off-ball linebacker to help out Tahir Whitehead at the second level.