The media’s mock draft season is officially getting underway as the Super Bowl comes to an end on Sunday. Here is a look at the haul that the Las Vegas Raiders received based on Chad Reuter of NFL.com’s recent attempt to forecast the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.
Round 1: Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy
The top three quarterbacks were unavailable for the Silver and Black, as was to be expected. Reuter did, however, anticipate one twist: wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be selected by the Chicago Bears when they trade up from ninth place with the New England Patriots. Reuter projected the Denver Broncos, the Raiders’ AFC West foe, to pick Drake Maye of North Carolina at No. 4 as a result.
Reuter began his justification for the Silver and Black’s selection by saying, “New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, formerly McCarthy’s coach at Michigan, has made it clear he loves the athletic, strong-armed national-champion quarterback.” McCarthy might be chosen if the Raiders take his advice and decide that Aidan O’Connell would be better off as a backup.
Reuter began his justification for the Silver and Black’s selection by saying, “New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, formerly McCarthy’s coach at Michigan, has made it clear he loves the athletic, strong-armed national-champion quarterback.” McCarthy might be chosen if the Raiders take his advice and decide that Aidan O’Connell would be better off as a backup.
The Raiders will also need to address the impending expiration of the contracts of Andre James and Greg Van Roten. In light of this, Dylan Parham may move to centre, and the squad will need to find two starting guards. But considering that most experts have given Robinson a Day 3 grade, this may be a bit of a stretch.
A sample of The Draft Network’s thoughts regarding the Texas A&M product is shown below:
Strong offensive lineman Layden Robinson performs best when moving from side to side during the ground game. He is always the first player off the ball upon snap. Shock linemen with heavy fists, but do not move defenders. There is leg drive, but Robinson won’t move linemen unless he has a clear runway to do so.
He displays superb technique in pass pro and can quickly create an anchor if startled out of position. does a good job of holstering linemen into his frame with his hands so he can immediately stop opponents’ progress.
