Kim Klement- USA TODAY Sports
We can all agree the Oakland Raiders came into the 2013 NFL Draft with a lot of holes.
Through three rounds, Oakland has gotten a lot of good talent and they fit some important needs. However, the Raiders still have not drafted a player at their most important need — defensive tackle.
I don’t have anything against the three picks Oakland has made thus far. D.J. Hayden is an athletic cornerback who will help the secondary immediately, but Menelik Watson is a raw offensive tackle with a lot of upside because of his freakish athleticism. Finally, Sio Moore is a good linebacker who is always in good position, but his speed isn’t ideal and he won’t be able to catch the quicker ball carriers. There are pros and cons to every pick made in the draft, but for the most part Oakland has done an excellent job of doing its homework and improving the roster.
The Raiders have drafted to some of their most basic needs, but the big issue is Oakland still has not addressed the interior of the defensive line. I’m sorry for not believing Pat Sims and Vance Walker are the answer for the Raiders, but they need to draft a defensive tackle soon. Luckily for Oakland, Jesse Williams is still on the board and only two teams stand between the Raiders and a marquee defensive tackle. If I’m Reggie McKenzie, I’m praying those two teams bypass Williams and he is able to fall into Oakland’s lap two rounds after he should have been selected.
