Perhaps no position for the Raiders is a bigger need for the Raiders than cornerback. For that reason, they would be smart to go after the position early, perhaps even at seven overall.
It’s not a question of *if* so much as *when* they will take a cornerback in this draft. But it should be high. At least in their top three picks.
When exactly they take a cornerback could depend largely on who is on the board. That means at several positions, not just cornerback. That’s because they have several needs, including quarterback.
Round 1, pick 7 – Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Widely considered the best cornerback in this draft. If the draft sees three or four quarterbacks taken before the Raiders pick at seven, there would be a good chance Gonzalez is still there, making him an ideal pick for the Raiders.
The 6-1, 197-pounder ran a 4.38 40-yard-dash at the scouting combine. The Colorado transfer won First Team All Pac12 honors in his only season at Oregon with 11 pass breakups and four interceptions.
Round 1, pick 7 – Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
If Gonzalez is the number one cornerback in this draft, Witherspoon in 1a. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.
The consensus All-American would also be a great pick at seven overall and an instant starter, which is what the Raiders are looking for.
The 5-11, 181-pounder had an eye-popping 17 pass breakups with three interceptions in his senior season. He ran a respectable 4.43 40 at the combine.
Round 1, if trade down – Joey Porter Jr, Penn State
The Bakersfield native would get to play not far from home in Las Vegas. The Raiders would get an ideal press-man cover corner. That is if they decided to trade down outside the top ten where Porter is expected to go.
With Josh McDaniels spending so much time in New England, there’s always a chance of a trade down to accumulate more draft capital. Yes, even with 12 picks already on the books. After all, they can always package those picks to trade up later, should they feel the need.
Round 2 – DJ Turner, Michigan
It could get confusing for the Raiders who already have a player named DJ Turner. He’s a receiver too, so if the Raiders were to select this DJ Turner, they’d face off against each other in practice.
They don’t just have a name in common. They are both also extremely fast. This DJ Turner ran a blistering 4.26 40-yard-dash at this year’s combine.
Round 3 – Darius Rush, South Carolina
Running a 4.36 40 is impressive. Doing it at nearly 6-2, 197 pounds is considerably impressive.
Rush came to South Carolina as a wide receiver and it shows in the way he goes after the ball. He switched to DB midway through his redshirt freshman season.
Two seasons later, he was a full time starter on the outside and put up 18 pass breakups and three interceptions over his final two seasons. He was only penalized twice in his college career and played regularly on special teams as well.
