The Raiders have two first-round NFL draft picks. They have two pressing needs.
Then they should take a receiver and then take a cornerback. Or vice versa.
Address one need, then the other. Make it work.
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If only it were that simple.
As general managers always say about this time, don’t reach for need.
One problem: The Raiders need more than just a top-flight receiver and cornerback to make their 2020 team hum. That’s why they should pick the best available receiver/cornerback/defensive tackle at No. 12 and trade down from the 19th spot.
Don’t fall for this “best player available” nonsense. Every team has a need. That will help form what’s called a draft cluster, a group of prospects a team would be comfortable selecting regardless of position.
NFL
The Raiders should pounce on the best possible player they can find at No. 12. And then they should do whatever possible to drop out of that No. 19 pick.
They don’t have a selection from No. 19 to No. 80, a massive divide the team can condense with a trade. We had the Raiders trading with Baltimore to get the Nos. 28 and 60 overall, to reclaim the second-round pick controversially coughed up in the Khalil Mack trade, in our recent seven-round Raiders mock trade.
There are several options to trade down, dealing with New Orleans and New England and Minnesota and possibly Green Bay to get some extra picks. They could also drop directly into the second round and fill Day 2 coffers to the brim.
While the No. 12 pick will obviously be crucial to the 2020 season, I’ll go so far as to say trading the No. 19 overall selection is equally vital to this draft’s success.
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The Raiders have several needs and, if they would come out ahead if they can divide the 19th pick into something in the first and the second round, general manager Mike Mayock could turn the assets into something special.
The trade seems obvious. Would you rather have Trevon Diggs/A.J. Terrell/C.J. Henderson or Kristian Fulton/Brandon Aiyuk/Ross Blacklock/Denzel Mims AND a second-round pick?
The 19th overall pick is a no man’s land for what the Raiders need, with instant impact receivers and cornerbacks either already gone or taken far deeper into the draft. Unless the draft gets wonky, of course.
Taking Fulton or Diggs or Mims seems like a colossal reach at that No. 19 stage, so diving deep into the first round would be ideal, even if the Raiders take it in the shorts on the NFL draft points chart.
The Silver and Black have surely had discussions with teams already owning multiple second-round picks, or they should dangle their three third-round selections while trying to move on up into a range where quality can be afforded. The Raiders definitely wanted to trade down from No. 4 and they wanted to get into the third round last year.
[RELATED: NFL mock draft 2020: Final, trade-filled first-round pick projections]
That didn’t happen.
Can they find a way down later into the first round or into the early second round to pick up picks? That’s far more valuable than locking down the 19th selection to be sure.