Oakland Raiders Should Find a Way to Draft Leonard Williams
By Calvin Cress
@CressOnRaiders
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not going to be easy, but the Oakland Raiders should do whatever it takes to make sure USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft, ends up in silver and black.
Obviously, the Raiders need to add more impact players on both sides of the ball if they hope to return to relevance in the near future. Bringing aboard Williams would clearly take care of that, while also giving them a player they can continue building around. Especially with promising talents such as Khalil Mack, Sio Moore and T.J. Carrie on the defensive side of the ball, adding Williams to the mix would put a pretty bow on the whole package.
To top that off, Williams would be an excellent fit in the Raiders’ 4-3 defense. Not only does he have the size and strength to play the three-technique, but he’s also athletic and explosive enough to make plays on the edge as well. With how average Antonio Smith (three-technique) and LaMarr Woodley (left end) were as starters in 2014, finding a replacement wouldn’t be the worst idea. Williams’ versatility is just icing on the cake.
And the final thing leaning in the Raiders’ favor…
“The Raiders have kind of been like my favorite, hometown team. I love their colors, I love their tradition, I love their defense,” Williams said at the 2015 NFL Combine. “I want to go as high as possible and shooting for that No. 1 spot. But if I did end up dropping to the Raiders, I would love to play for them.”
Now it won’t be easy to get Williams to Oakland. They currently own the No. 4 overall pick, and chances are Williams won’t fall that far. Especially if he blows it away at the Combine like most are expecting, chances are he doesn’t make it past the first two picks. The Raiders could swing a trade to move up, though.
It would probably come at a hefty cost — even to move up only three spots — but it might be worth the price of admission for the Raiders. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t sold on either one of the top two quarterbacks, they could choose to move down and hope one of them falls into their laps. That way, the Raiders get what they want and the Buccaneers stockpile a couple of extra picks while still getting their quarterback of the future (potentially). A trade with the Tennessee Titans at No. 2 is also an option if the Buccaneers go quarterback at No. 1.
New head coach Jack Del Rio could also roll the dice and hope Williams falls, but that’s a pipe dream at best. Instead, the Raiders seriously need to consider moving up to secure a player who can singlehandedly help turn the Oakland defense around.
Just imagine how happy Raider Nation would be with that monster suited in silver and black on Sundays.
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