Over the next two months, you are going to see a new mock draft pop up every day. And in nearly every mock, it only covers the first round. But as we know, teams aren’t built in the first round alone.
So we are going to take a look at several mocks over the next ten weeks to see what the Raiders do in Round 2. With the team owning the No. 38 pick (as well as No. 7), they should be able to get a quality starter with that pick.
In a recent mock draft by Matt Miller of ESPN, he had the Raiders selecting Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson at pick No. 38. Here is his reasoning behind the selection:
“The Raiders seemingly have an annual need to improve the middle of the defense, and Simpson is a threat at linebacker with pass-rush, cover and run-defense ability. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder had 12.5 sacks, 24.5 tackles for loss and 161 total tackles over the past three years while also proving to be a menace in pass coverage.”
Simpson is one of the fastest and most athletic linebackers in the class and would be a fantastic fit with the Raiders. Outside of Denzel Perryman, the Raiders don’t have another linebacker on their roster that they can rely on from game to game.
Day 2 is loaded with linebacker talent and it would be wise for the Raiders to take one at some point early in the draft. Simpson would be an ideal fit for the Raiders should he be available at No. 38.
