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The Raiders are continuing their journey to 2019 – and beyond. They traded wide receiver Amari Cooper, the fourth-overall pick in 2015, to the Cowboys for a first-round pick. As it stands, Oakland now has three first rounders in next year's draft. With the current NFL standings through seven weeks, the Raiders have picks No. 4 (their original selection), No. 9 (from the Cowboys) and No. 15 (from the Bears as part of the Khalil Mack trade).
As it stands, the Raiders are 1-5, have a differential point of minus-66, which is third-worst in the league behind the Cardinals (minus-92) and the Bills (minus-94). And like those teams, Oakland has no chance of salvaging the season, Jon Gruden first in the NFL since the 2008 season. Which could mean that he'll spend the next 10 games evaluating the players currently on the roster and spending free agency and the draft putting together his vision of what's winning roster looks like. At the top of the to-do list (in no particular order): Replacing Mack, replacing Cooper and determining if Derek Carr is the long-term answer at quarterback.
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Starting with Carr first, a cursory look at the stats and you might think the fifth-year quarterback is really flourishing under Gruden. Carr's completion 71.7 percent of his pbades, which is eight percentage points higher than any other time in his career. But he also has eight interceptions – he was tied for the lead league heading into Week 7 – and just seven touchdowns. But the low point came in London when Carr was 23 of 31 but managed just 142 pbading yards and lost two fumbles. He has had three multi-pick games, and only has not committed to turnover. And because he's not a Gruden's guy, it's reasonable to think he may be in the new coach's long-term plans.
Replacing Mack and Cooper, while not easy, is certainly less complicated; the Raiders have seven sacks and three fumble recoveries this season. Mack, now in Chicago, has five and four. Cooper, meanwhile, was averaging 12.7 yards per reception but he ranked 25th in value per play, just ahead of Julio Jones and Alshon Jeffery. If the Raiders are going to be something other than mediocre (or worse) – they've had exactly two winning seasons since they were last in Oakland in 2002, most recently in 2016 when they went 12-4 – they'll need to nail all three of their first-round picks.
If you're wondering, the picks below are ordered based on winning percentage, playoff seedings and strength of schedule (via Tankathon.com).
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1. San Francisco 49ers
Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State. He is the best player in the drafting even if he is the head of the field of surgery. Sept. 20. The 49ers used first-round picks on Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas from 2015-17 but not as always disruptive as Bosa.
2. Arizona Cardinals
Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama. The Cardinals' offensive line has struggled to protect rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and Creating Lanes for David Johnson. Mike McCoy was fired and replaced with coach quarterbacks Byron Leftwich. Still, needs along the O-line remain and Jonah Williams is the best of the bunch, though it's probably a second best overall.
3. New York Giants
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon. Until the Giants have a viable option at quarterback not named Eli Manning, Herbert remains the pick here. CBS Sports NFL Jason Insider The Canfora reported on Sunday that Herbert could choose to return to school, which would be a devastating development for the Giants. One option: New York could not say that, say, Joe Flacco, until they could unearth their next franchise pbad.
4. Oakland Raiders
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston. Oliver is one of the two best players in the country and the Raiders would be lucky to find him here. The only knock on him is his defensive tackle. He has a non-stop motor and is damn-near unblockable. He will not replace Khalil Mack but he will immediately upgrade that defense.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Brian Burns, DE, Florida State. The Colts' defense has gone from one of the league's worst units in 2017 to a replacement-level outfit heading into Sunday's game. And there's no way to get better than to find elite pbad rushers. Burns has been dominating this season and could be one of the first in a deep rush.
6. Buffalo Bills
Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State. Ole Miss' D.K. Metcalf will return from injury. But Harmon is the second-best receiver in this clbad and even though he's coming off a tough game against Clemson, his ability to get in and out of breaks, and to get rid of it. offense needs.
7. Atlanta Falcons
Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama. How deep is Alabama's bench? Williams played behind Da'Ron Payne last season and the redshirt sophomore has opened a lot of eyes with his play. In related news, the Falcons' defensive line is among the worst in the league – against the run – and – drafting Williams would solve a lot of those problems.
8. Cleveland Browns
Greedy Williams, BC, LSU. To hear Hue Jackson tell it, the offense needs his help. But this unit has a lot of young playmakers who just need to grow into their roles. A wide receiver is an obvious need but not this high. Instead, Cleveland continues to bademble the league's best young stable of defensive talent; a year after adding the best cornerback in the 2017 draft, they double down and get Williams, the best cornerback in the '18 draft clbad.
9. Oakland Raiders (via Cowboys)
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri. Lock looks like an NFL quarterback and he can make all the throws. His decision making can get him into trouble but this would be Jon Gruden's With the fire going on in Oakland, Derek Carr's days could be numbered.
10. Tennessee Titans
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson. We know how inept the Titans' offense can be but it's too high to take an interior lineman, wide receiver or tight end. Plus, the defense has not exactly set the world on fire – specifically, the pbad defense ranks 23rd, according to Football Outsiders. Adding Ferrell and pairing him with 2017 second-round pick Harold Landry seems like a no-brainer
11. Jacksonville Jaguars
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford. The Jaguars desperately need to move on from Blake Bortles, the team turns its attention to stocking the offense with playmakers who can help whomever replaces Bortles.
12. New York Jets
Mount Sweat, DE, Mississippi State. The Jets' defensive line has been replaced by the level of the run and the defense has 15 sacks in seven games. Sweats, who is having a fantastic college season, can be a difference-maker in pbading-rushing situations.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama. Malcolm Jenkins is 30, Corey Graham is 33, and Thompson is the best safety in college football and it's not even close. This team has other needs too, but upgrading the priority is a priority and it's tough to do better than Thompson here.
14. Denver Broncos
David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin. The Broncos have more and more of the roster – most notably at quarterback – but they take it. Edwards here, one of the best players. Unbelievably consistent, Edwards could start immediately on the right side of the line.
15. Oakland Raiders (via Bears)
A.J. Brown, WR Ole Miss. Al Davis would love this pick. Brown's a burner, however, he plays mostly out of the slot. Drew Lock (taken six picks earlier, courtesy of the Amari Cooper trade with the Cowboys). We also considered a pbad here, but Oakland's offense is too anemic not to address twice in Round 1.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State. The Bucs' entered Week 7 with the NFL's worst defense and the defensive line was 27th in rushing the quarterback. Simmons is one of the quickest defensive tackles in college football and he'd be welcome to Gerald McCoy, Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry.
17. Seattle Seahawks
Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia. The offensive line needs to be upgraded. This is not news. Yes, the group has played better than expected, but there is no reason for the offense should consist of Russell Wilson running for his life on most plays.
18. Detroit Lions
Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan. Is he a defensive tackle or a defensive end? Gary has not put up eye-popping stats this season but he's a versatile player who could fit anything Matt Patricia could dream up.
19. Miami Dolphins
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson. If there was ever an advertisement for your defensive line
Lawrence is a 340-pound bowling ball who is strong as an ox and quick as a cat.
20. Baltimore Ravens
Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama. C.J. Mosley could seamlessly transition into the role.
21. Houston Texans
Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has taken a beating this season. (To the extent that he had to take a trip to Jacksonville because of the fact that he was a member of the team.) Risner is tough and consistently reliable, which exactly is what Houston's offense line needs more of.
22. Cincinnati Bengals
Kris Boyd, BC, Texas. The Bengals love drafting cornerbacks in the first round and Longhorns.
23. Green Bay Packers
Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky. Allen has been red-hot this season registering eight sacks for the Wildcats, including five in his last three games. He'd bolster the packers' pbad rush, which has 18 sacks in six games.
24. Minnesota Vikings
Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College. The Vikings ranks 24th in the run, and 29th in the middle, according to Football Outsiders. If they can get better up front, and get healthy Dalvin Cook, this offense could be unstoppable.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers
Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida. The Steelers need help at home linebacker and cornerback Polite has been a terror for the Gators. And an effective rush can mask other issues on defense.
26. Washington Redskins
Ryan Finley, QB, N.C. State. Finley is coming off his heels in the season – getting the ball out quickly, anticipatory throws, the lack of a strong arm – reminds us of Kirk Cousins, whom the Redskins miss after trading for 34-year -old Alex Smith. Finley would not be ready for a starting role in 2019 but he could be the team's quarterback of the future in 2020 and beyond.
27. Carolina Panthers
Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford. Smith is an athletic down-the-field pbad-catcher in the mold of Greg Olsen, who will be 34 next year.
28. Los Angeles Chargers
Devin White, LB, LSU. Same as last week. Denzel Perryman is in the final year of his rookie deal and while White Wilson has not been a leader in the game.
29. New England Patriots
Noah Fant, TE, Iowa. Rob Gronkowski has had a strong interest in the past, but it's still a little bit more important, the Patriots would have yet another middle-of-the-field weapon for opposing defenses to have contend with.
30. Green Bay Packers (via Saints)
Jerry Tillery, DL, Notre Dame. The Packers have been in the business of picking up their second-round picks, they are trying to get their run-around, which has been suspect through the first half of the season.
31. Kansas City Chiefs
Michael Jackson, BC, Miami. If the Chiefs can not replace them, they're a legit Super Bowl contender for the next 2-3 years.
32. Los Angeles Rams
Te'von Coney, LB, Our Lady. If there's a weakness on this team it's at linebacker. The defense has been average this season, and the run game ranks 26th. Coney has had a stellar senior season at Notre Dame and he would immediately upgrade the middle of this D.
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