The Raiders would be selecting fourth in the first round if the NFL draft were held today.
It’s not.
There are a slew of teams bunched together near the bottom of the standings. The order of the first round will shuffle constantly based on results each week the rest of the season.
Sunday’s victory over the Broncos, for example, dropped the Raiders two spots from second to fourth in the order.
Where they ultimately end up could go a long way in determining who the Raiders could select in the first round. But offensive and defensive line, along with linebackers, secondary and possibly a big, physical wide receiver are on the list of needs.
A quarterback is also a real possibility considering the team’s struggles and Derek Carr’s contract structure.
Each week, we will monitor how some of the players projected to go near where the Raiders pick are performing in college.
Top prospects
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State, and Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
We’ll keep these two packaged as the No. 1 and 1A prospect in this class. There are other great players in this draft, but premier quarterbacks are always going to be worthy of consideration as the top pick. Picking fourth may even take the Raiders out of the conversation for either player because they could be off the board.
Young is coming off an efficient 18 of 24 game against Austin Peay where he threw for 221 yards and two scores in a 34-0 win. Stroud went 18-for-30 for 241 yards and a score in a shootout win over Maryland.
Both players are putting some distance between themselves and Kentucky QB Will Levis, who just hasn’t taken a step forward and continues to be plagued by turnovers.
Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama
Anderson, the best non-quarterback in the class, saw his streak of consecutive games with a sack snapped at three. He did, however, help the Crimson Tide defense to a shutout win in which it held Austin Peay to 206 total yards. He had four tackles and a pass defensed. Anderson has eight sacks on the season.
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
The Raiders have struggled to generate much of a pass rush up the middle and Carter could quickly fix that issue. He’s just now getting up to full speed after an injury that cost him several weeks, but is an absolute game-changing force in the middle of the defense for the nation’s best team. Carter had five tackles against Kentucky last week.
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Another athletic freak in the middle who is far more skilled at getting in the gaps and creating havoc in the backfield than he is a traditional line clogger on the line of scrimmage. Bresee missed last week’s win over Miami with strep throat, but is expected back for Saturday’s rivalry game against South Carolina.
Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
The best pass-blocking tackle in the draft has allowed just one sack and five total hurries all season and has a best-in-the-nation pass-blocking grade of 92.6 by Pro Football Focus. Skoronski didn’t allow a single pressure against Purdue on Saturday, his second straight clean sheet.
Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
He is a very long athlete on the edge who is very capable of getting to the quarterback, but shines as a run-stopper. He could form a nice bookend to Maxx Crosby and is coming off a two-tackle game against Miami.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Texas Christian
Johnston, who had scored a touchdown in five straight games before Baylor kept him out of the end zone on Saturday, could fit well with Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. He has a big body and tremendous skills as a runner after the catch when the ball is in his hands. He had four catches for 48 yards on Saturday.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
