Oakland Raiders: 7-Round 2020 mock draft sets stage for Las Vegas
The Oakland Raiders have shown progress under Jon Gruden but there is still work to be done in the 2020 NFL Draft and it’s done in the 7-round mock draft.
In welcoming the Jaguars to town on Sunday in Week 15, the Oakland Raiders will play the franchise’s final game in the Bay Area. Their last home game of the 2019 season marks the end of an era as they will move to Las Vegas and a shiny new stadium next season. The hope for Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock and Raider Nation is that the product heading to Sin City is worth the price of admission.
Throughout the 2019 season, we’ve seen signs of that being the case. Guys like Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller and Maxx Crosby have emerged as breakout players and there is still excitement around other pieces in place for the Raiders. However, for the move to Vegas to go smoothly and successfully, this franchise needs more pieces and more talent by way of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Perhaps the most interesting place where things could change in the move to Nevada is at quarterback. Derek Carr has been fine this season but his issues with inconsistency remain intact. It’s becoming more apparent that he may not be the franchise quarterback the Raiders need him to be.
Whoever is playing quarterback in the silver and black will need more weapons, though. Moreover, they could uses some protection on the offensive line in terms of depth. What may help more than both of those things, however, is shoring up glaring holes in the defense so that every game doesn’t have to be a 35-point-apiece shootout where anyone can win.
Again, this is a huge draft class for the Raiders considering their upward trend from last season and the impending move to Las Vegas. And with the luxury of having two first-round picks thanks to the Khalil Mack trade, Mayock and Gruden can do some serious damage early. It’s all about making the right selections.
Having all of that in mind, let’s look ahead to the 2020 NFL Draft with a seven-round mock draft for the Raiders, compiled by using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.