NFL Oakland Raiders

2015 NFL Draft: Pick By Pick Mock With Oakland Raiders At No. 1

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By @rickstavig

Leonard Williams

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s obviously very early to start thinking about mocks for the 2015 NFL Draft, but scouting and planning ahead is a never-ending cycle. With that said, we’ll start a pick-by-pick mock draft breakdown, with mere predictions and estimations on the order of things. Clearly much can and will change between now and then, so remember to take this with a grain of salt. Without further ado, who do the Oakland Raiders select with the first overall pick?

Leonard Williams, DE/DT, Southern Cal.

I can’t believe I’m actually putting him up here and not a QB like Marcus Mariota (Oregon) or Jameis Winston (FSU), or even a top flight LT like Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M). But when you really break things down, it looks like the Raiders are intrigued by the development of rookie QB Derek Carr and his skill set moving forward. 1,189 yards, 60% completion and an 8/5 TD to INT ratio is solid, especially considering the dearth of talent around him.

In regards to the hogmollies up front, yes LT Donald Penn is 31 and riding out a 2-year deal, but he’s been absolutely rock solid in pass pro and serviceable in the ground game. Second year RT Menelik Watson, despite being penalty prone, has really been progressing nicely and could be a part of the teams long terms plan moving forward. OT may not be as much of dire need as some might think, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Raiders take an elite young blindside protector for Carr.

Back to Williams. The Raiders run defense has been simply heinous this year, giving up more than 145 yard per game, good for 29th in the NFL. Fourth round rookie Justin Ellis has shown glimpses of his potential, but has struggled overall. Pat Sims has been decent against the run, but he’s not a long term solution. Antonio Smith is 33 and has begun showing his age. Simply put, the future is bleak inside for the Raiders.

Williams is arguably the most talented defensive linemen in the country, and possibly the most versatile. He’s produced from the minute he stepped on campus as a true freshman in 2012, and has really stepped up big game in ’14 as he’s second on the team in tackles with 45, leads the team in sacks with 4.5 and has even chipped in an INT. The 6-foot 5, 300-pound Williams can line up on the strong side or at 3-tech in a 43 as well as a 5-tech in a 34. He’s an impressive athlete with good strength and speed and can generate good penetration up field.

He’s not an edge rusher by any means, but if the Raiders line him up at the 3 and cut him loose, he’ll likely start drawing double teams in the middle and free up guys on the outside. While not an outstanding pass rusher as a DE, for a DT he’ll be considered a very good pass rusher who uses his hands well. The combo of Williams and Ellis in the middle isn’t too bad moving forward.

Do I think Williams is the best player in this draft? No, but is he arguably the best prospect for the Raiders in a top-five scenario? In my opinion, yes.

Hopefully if the Raiders do in fact have the top pick they’ll do everything in their power to trade down and accumulate more draft capital. The needs on this team are abundant and one pick alone won’t turn this team around.

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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