2017 NFL Draft: Ranking Oakland Raiders' Top Needs After Free Agency

By Fansided and Gil Alcaraz IV/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone
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With the 2017 NFL Draft just over a month away, the Oakland Raiders will need to fill the holes in the roster they failed to address during free agency.

Heading into the offseason, it seemed nearly guaranteed the Oakland Raiders would be big spenders during 2017 NFL Free Agency. That wasn't quite the case, as they stayed quiet during the first wave only to make a few solid signings that missed the "splash" category by a mile.

They made some strong moves, including the additions of tight end Jared Cook and wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. However, the majority of the team's biggest needs this offseason were on the defensive side of the ball. The only addition they've made on defense so far is Jelani Jenkins, who is no difference-maker at linebacker.

Luckily, the 2017 NFL Draft will provide them the perfect opportunity to do what they didn't during free agency. Now don't get me wrong—I'm not saying general manger Reggie McKenzie should be criticized. It may have been his plan all along to be conservative during free agency, waiting for the draft to make the big moves.

While I may not be McKenzie, I can certainly speculate on what this Raiders roster needs right now. In fact, that's all any of us really can do at this point in the offseason.

With that in mind, let's take a quick look at the Raiders' five biggest needs heading into the 2017 NFL Draft. Free agency is nearly over and this Oakland roster is coming together, but some final touches are absolutely needed at the end of April.

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5. Free Safety

Current depth chart (in projected order): Reggie Nelson

The safety position hasn't gotten a lot of attention among media folks this offseason. However, after losing both Brynden Trawick and Nate Allen to free agency, the Raiders could use an influx of depth on the backend of their secondary.

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    Sure, Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson are a strong duo of starters for Oakland. However, Joseph is a tad injury prone and Nelson is getting up there in age at 33 years old. Realistically, the Raiders need a better backup plan behind the two of them than just Keith McGill.

    Unfortunately, the open market is rather thin at the position at this point in the offseason. Most of what's still available is aging, on the decline, or overrated. They could roll the dice with a free agency acquisition like Lardarius Webb or Robert Blanton, but waiting until the draft seems like a solid plan of attack as well.

    There are a number of mid-round talents who could easily assume the role of backup free safety. In that situation, the incoming rookie could gain some valuable mentoring as the man behind Nelson with the potential to develop into a starter. It's not a sure-fire plan, but this isn't exactly a top priority for the Raiders right now.

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    4. Cornerback

    Current depth chart (in projected order): Sean Smith, David Amerson, T.J. Carrie, Dexter McDonald, Antonio Hamilton

    Despite both coming off down years in 2016, Sean Smith and David Amerson are still a solid set of starting cornerbacks for the Oakland defense. While some folks appear ready to throw in the towel on the two, I'm confident they can get their act together this upcoming season.

    The depth at cornerback, though, is worrisome to say the least. They watched D.J. Hayden head for Detroit this offseason, leaving them with T.J. Carrie as the only decent backup. Dexter McDonald may have some upside, but I wouldn't put much stock in the former seventh-round pick until he proves otherwise. Put simply, more talent is needed on the outside.

    An abundance of cornerback talent in this year's class should make it easy to address the position, though. A cover man could be an option for the Raiders in the first round, but they could also wait until Day 2 to provide themselves a brighter future at cornerback. Either way, finding a future star shouldn't be too difficult.

    One way or another, the Raiders must find more depth at cornerback before Week 1 rolls around. After sporting the No. 24 pass defense in 2016, the only way they're going to improve on that ranking is to inject this defense with more talented cover men. The draft will be the perfect time to check that off the to-do list.

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    3. Defensive Tackle

    Current depth chart (in projected order): Dan Williams, Jihad Ward, Justin Ellis, Darius Latham

    The Raiders went into the offseason with a significant need at defensive tackle—specifically, they needed a quality interior pass rusher. Unfortunately, as free agency winds down, Oakland has yet to address one of the defense's biggest concerns.

    Put simply, the Raiders' interior defenders were hugely underwhelming a season ago. While Dan Williams played well, he wasn't his usual dominant self. Justin Ellis and Stacy McGee battled injuries, and rookie Jihad Ward was a train wreck as I expected. The position as a whole was a mess despite a promising outlook heading into the regular season.

    With most worthy options now signed elsewhere, the Raiders will likely have to wait until the draft to add an interior rusher. While not one of the deepest positions of the 2017 draft class, I don't think Oakland will have too much trouble finding a playmaker when late April rolls around.

    I would guess the Raiders will use a pick somewhere between the second and fourth rounds to beef up the interior of the defensive line. Finding someone who can collapse the pocket would do wonders for this defense, especially in terms of taking pressure off of edge rushers Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin.

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    2. Running Back

    Current depth chart (in projected order): DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard, Taiwan Jones

    At this very moment, the Raiders' have a huge hole at running back. The top options are two diminutive sophomores and a fullback. Not exactly a comforting situation to be in, even if it is still relatively early in the offseason.

      Instead of settling on some of the aging options on the open market, the Raiders have turned attention elsewhere. In fact, they've honed in on local legend Marshawn Lynch, who they're attempting to convince to come out of retirement. While there would be some hoops to jump through before that happens, Oakland seems to be gaining some momentum.

      Until that happens, though, running back will remain one of the top needs. They simply can't go into this season with only DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard and Jamize Olawale carrying the ground game. Luckily for the Raiders, the 2017 draft class is loaded with running back talent.

      While targeting a runner in the first round may be a stretch, there should be several intriguing Day 2 options Oakland could keep an eye on. One way or another, I don't foresee it being difficult for the Raiders to find an early contributor via the draft. A Lynch signing, however, would make the position much less of a priority.

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      1. Inside Linebacker

      Current depth chart (in projected order): Jelani Jenkins, Cory James, Ben Heeney, Neiron Ball, Tyrell Adams

      Let's be honest—the addition of Jenkins was not the move the Raiders needed. With players like Zach Brown, Perry Riley Jr., and Gerald Hodges still available, they opted to sign an underwhelming talent with limited upside and a notable injury history.

      And yet here we are with Jenkins currently acting as the leading candidate to start in the middle for Oakland. There are other options such as Cory James, Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball, but all have their limitations at this point. Hence, the decision to put inside linebacker atop the Raiders' list of needs heading into the 2017 NFL Draft.

      As it so happens, the 2017 draft class is overflowing with starting-caliber talent at inside linebacker. Several mock drafts out there have Oakland targeting someone like Jarrad Davis in the first round or Zach Cunningham in the second, both of whom would be better options in the middle than Jenkins.

      There's still the possibility they add another potential starter via free agency. However, at this point, it appears they've settled on Jenkins with the hope of adding a top talent via the draft. With a number of high-upside prospects likely to be available for the Silver and Black, playing the waiting game isn't the worst idea.