Best Draft-Day Contingency Plans for the Oakland Raiders
Life doesn’t always go as planned; this applies to the Oakland Raiders' draft-day plans.
Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Leonard Williams and Dante Fowler Jr., are all likely candidates for the Raiders' fourth overall pick. Eric Kendricks and Cameron Erving should also be considered, if the Raiders don’t fulfill voids at center or middle linebacker with veteran free agents.
Devising a Plan B or Plan C will be just as important as Plan A in order for the front office to put together another impactful draft class.
In 2014, general manager Reggie McKenzie and his team of scouts did their homework. Third-round pick Gabe Jackson, fourth-round pick Justin Ellis and seventh-round pick Travis Carrie played well in their rookie seasons.
Who are the best alternatives to those coveted first- and second-round picks in 2015? Let’s take a look at some possible backup plans on draft day.
Plan A: Leonard Williams / Plan B: Danny Shelton
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Williams is the player most Raider fans would like to see wearing silver and black.
The reality is he's too good to be left on the board for the Raiders at No. 4. ESPN College Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Tennessee Titans picking up Williams with the second pick in his mock draft 3.0.
According to CBSSports.com, Danny Shelton is the second-best defensive tackle in this year’s draft class and comparable to Vince Wilfork, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
"NFL COMPARISON Vince Wilfork
BOTTOM LINE With his thick frame and powerful upper body, Shelton has moments where he can dominate at the point of attack. He was forced to chase sideline to sideline due to the nature of Pac-12 offenses, but when he faced downhill competition like Stanford, he stepped up. Shelton is an above average interior pass rusher for a man his size thanks to his surprising athleticism. He is a fit in a two-gap scheme and could benefit from playing fewer snaps than he was forced to play at Washington.
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Shelton isn’t as versatile as Williams, lacking capabilities of playing different positions on the defensive line, but he’s good at what he does in the middle as a nose tackle.
He’s a 6’2”, 339-pound defensive tackle who takes up space and engulfs ball-carriers with the ability to shed blockers and take down quarterbacks.
Eventually, teams will have to respect Shelton’s power and tendency to gobble up blockers by double-teaming him, which would help Khalil Mack and Justin Ellis rack up sacks and tackles for loss.
If the Raiders swing and miss on Ndamukong Suh and Terrance Knighton during free agency, Shelton is a perfect alternative to Williams in order to bolster the defensive line.
Plan A: Amari Cooper or Kevin White / Plan B: Breshad Perriman
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White’s impressive senior year at West Virginia, impressive workouts and freakish athleticism sparked heated debates over who is the best wide receiver in this year's draft class.
The Raiders are the most likely of the top five teams to select a wide receiver. Should it be Cooper or White?
What if it’s neither?
Oakland could decide to draft a defensive player, like Shelton, in order to upgrade a run defense that surrendered 119.4 yards per game last season.
The Raiders could go with Breshad Perriman, especially if he’s available in the second round. He measures at 6’2”, 212 pounds, sporting a similar frame to White.
According to Zierlein, he's possibly just as explosive:
"Height, weight and speed numbers that every team covets. Quick accelerator off the snap and destroys the cushion, forcing cornerbacks into "turn-and-run" mode. More sudden than most big receivers. Able to break routes off sharply or go from stop to start instantly. Consistent separation at top of his route. Always gets over the top of cornerbacks on verticals. Varies route speed and has ability to body up and box out smaller cornerbacks downfield. Explosive leaper with timing and catch radius to make the difficult catches look easy. Shows off plus body control and ball tracking on deep ball. Able to gear up or down when needed and is a legitimate big-play threat on every snap.
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The Raiders can still draft a potential big-threat playmaking wide receiver outside of the first round. The conversation should extend beyond Cooper and White.
Perriman hasn’t received as much publicity as Dorial Green-Beckham, Jaelen Strong or DeVante Parker, who are all considered second-tier receivers behind Cooper and White, but he has just as much upside.
Currently, Kiper Jr. has Perriman going to the Seattle Seahawks and Dorial Green-Beckham falling to the second round. That prediction could likely flip. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll doesn’t shy away from players with troubled pasts.
Plan A: Dante Fowler Jr. / Plan 1A: Alvin Dupree
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Fowler Jr. has recently picked up a lot of steam after the combine. A month ago, Kiper Jr. had him going to the New Orleans Saints with the 13th pick. In his 3.0 mock draft, he’s projected as the third overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Whoa! So, what was it? Was it the gold watch he wore while running a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash? Was it the confidence he displayed at the combine? In part, his swag and media attention made him a fixture at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Yes, Fowler Jr. is talented and showed some versatility, but he’s an outside linebacker who played one solid year on the defensive line. It’s plausible there’s a better Plan A available as a pass-rusher or defensive end for Oakland.
Alvin “Bud” Dupree played three solid seasons at Kentucky. He played on the defensive line in his last two seasons, racking up 14.5 sacks and 22 tackles resulting in losses.
According to Zierlein, Dupree is special physical specimen. He's raw but already excelling as a versatile defensive lineman/linebacker who can cover running backs and tight ends and smash quarterbacks:
"Freakish athlete with chiseled frame. Outstanding power with ability to rag-doll tight ends at will. Should be an above average edge-setter. Good transition from playing run to rushing quarterback in play-action. Explosive closing burst. Willing thumper when he has a shot on running back. Can drop into space and play zone. Raw, but learning with huge growth potential as a player. Has strength at the point to be a physical edge-setter. Scouts give him plus grade for character.
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Furthermore, new defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and head coach Jack Del Rio can turn him into a defensive machine, per Zierlein:
"Dupree is an explosive, powerful athlete with a background in basketball. While he's been productive at Kentucky, his tape doesn't always do his potential justice. He must continue to improve as a pass rusher, but his traits are undeniable. Difference between being good and great might be his coordinator.
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Yikes! He amassed 14.5 sacks in two seasons and still has room to improve as a pass-rusher. Under the guidance of an elite defensive mind like Del Rio, Dupree’s ceiling would be limitless.
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Plan A: Eric Kendricks / Plan B: Denzel Perryman
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Denzel Perryman is the third-ranked inside linebacker at CBSSports.com. He’s a tackling machine similar to Kendricks with some notable flaws in pass coverage.
Perryman’s flaws in coverage can be masked with a safety who plays closer to the line of scrimmage, similar to Charles Woodson’s style of play in 2014.
Despite his shortcomings against the pass, he’s a hard worker and will definitely take extra film sessions to improve his game.
Perryman’s physicality is his strong suit, and it's also what the Raiders need on defense. He’ll provide some toughness and quick-strike ability up the middle, per Zierlein:
"Burly, stout, old-school linebacker build. Wants to hit and brings his pads with him when he delivers a blow. Delivers a jarring punch into oncoming offensive linemen on second level. Defends his area of turf and sees past blockers, keeping his eye trained on the play. Is able to disengage and shed blockers. Plays low and with leverage. Once he diagnoses, can trigger into gaps and disrupt.
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The Miami ILB comes off as the proverbial tough guy who isn’t afraid to lead the charge and play on every down with a full tank.
Scouts may mull over his poor coverage skills, but a certain Miami linebacker who played for the Ravens and retired as a Super Bowl champion didn’t have the best coverage skills either. However, he worked hard and played tough with that same old-school, gritty style shown on Perryman’s tape.
It’s unfair to draw career parallels to Ray Lewis before Perryman’s career starts, but don’t allow the flaws to devalue the total value of the potential player he can be in the pros.
Plan A: Cameron Erving / Plan B: Ali Marpet
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Erving had an impressive showing at the combine to validate his impressive film as a tackle and center for Florida State. He could be a first-round pick, but his full transition as a center could cause him to slip slightly. CBSSports projects him as a first- or second-round pick.
As an unknown, Ali Marpet reached some draft boards strictly through his impressive showing at the combine, per Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports.
Edholm further explains it’s more than just speed that could potentially land Marpet a starting position in the NFL:
"Marpet led all offensive linemen with an official 4.98-second 40 time (unofficially, the initial timing was 5.10), and the fastest 10-yard split among all the offensive linemen of 1.74 seconds. Speed is not going to be an automatic ticket to the NFL, but his athleticism pops, as does his competitiveness. Notable from his Senior Bowl week was locking horns — and holding his own — against possible top-10 pick, Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
Also, Marpet (hence the Hobart degree) is smart, with the school producing far more hedge-fund managers than athletes, but that intelligence is considered a plus. He could project to center or guard, and he played in college (and for one day at the Senior Bowl) at left tackle, so Marpet ranks high in the versatility category, too.
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Marpet could be the pride of Division III football straight from Hobart College. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders select him as a mid-round pick. Oakland could sign a seasoned veteran to play center, but Marpet could fill in as a guard if McKenzie follows through with his plan to move Austin Howard back to tackle.
McKenzie is optimistic about his chances of landing a solid guard in the draft, per the Raiders’ official website:
"On needing interior linemen: This is a good year for offensive linemen in the draft. We lose guys, it’s our job to replace them. We won’t go in there without interior players. I want to have the best offensive line, so whoever we try to bring in, if someone decides to go, that happens. We’re not going to ever push the panic button.
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Marpet has created a chance for himself, potentially in Oakland.
Advanced statistics provided by Sports-Reference.com. College prospect profiles provided by NFL.com. Draft Rankings and projections provided by CBSSports.com.
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