The Raiders added 12 new players in unrestricted free agency, with a decided slant toward one unit. A total of nine new defenders are joining the Silver and Black, with general manager Mike Mayock believing they can insert several into the starting lineup or as a featured part of a rotation.
That’s especially true in the front seven. Maliek Collins should be a major player at defensive tackle. Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton were paid big bucks to be three-down linebackers.
Carl Nassib got a handsome sum to join Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby off the edge and he’ll compete for playing time.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Damarious Randall was a late signing but should get first crack at the free safety gig. Jeff Heath has experience behind and joins Erik Harris at that spot, creating depth when adding Johnathan Abram’s return from a shoulder injury.
Those additions give Mayock freedom heading into next week’s NFL draft.
“It allows us to go into the draft on the defensive side of the ball and just say, ‘OK, where’s the best football player? Let’s go get him.’”
There’s an exception to that rule, and it’s pretty obvious.
NFL
Cornerback.
The Raiders can get by on what they’ve got at every spot except one their worked hard to fill in free agency. They tried to get Byron Jones and Chris Harris Jr. and came up empty.
Their Eli Apple deal fell through, though Randall was an excellent consolation prize. He’s a better player and put the Raiders in a better position with the salary cap.
Mayock said the Raiders are excited by 2019 fourth-round pick Isaiah Johnson, a long and fast converted receiver who missed most of last season with an injury. He’s certainly capable of coming on strong in 2020 but that’s no sure thing. He propped up Keisean Nixon and Dylan Mabin, another young player who got hurt early.
“We’ve got four or five young corners who we’re kind of intrigued by,” Mayock said. “Now, do we think that we need to get better there? Yeah. But you always have to be careful to see how the board will fall. I think the biggest mistakes people make, is trying to reach for need. So, the board will fall whatever way it falls and if we’re fortunate enough to get a corner that’d be great.”
The Raiders will have an opportunity to snag a plug-and-play type at No. 12 overall and possibly No. 19. There’s talent into the third round when the Raiders pick next, though it’s harder to expect an instant impact player from that portion of the NFL draft.
We explored options atop the draft, including a long look at Florida’s C.J. Henderson being the choice at No. 12 and whether the team should trade up for Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah.
[RELATED: NFL Draft 2020: Why Raiders could pick from college football's best]
Those guys could satisfy a truly pressing need, though a cluster of lower first-round talents including Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Clemson’s A.J. Terrell and LSU’s Kristian Fulton also are out there.
It will be interesting to see how the Raiders address the cornerback spot. If they land a good one, the Silver and Black could be in line to play far better defense in 2020 than recent seasons.
