The Raiders Have Plenty at Stake in the NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders cleaned house earlier this offseason, bringing in John Spytek and Pete Carroll as their new general manager and head coach. The two have been tasked with turning things around for one of the most storied franchises in National Football League history.

Spytek's primary task is to get the Raiders the necessary players to be a more competitive team. Carroll's primary task is to get the most out of the players on the roster, even though the roster is not where the Raiders hope it will one day be. Still, Las Vegas has another chance to improve.

The NFL Draft is just days away. After multiple disappointing seasons and holding the No. 6 pick in the draft, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY believes the Raiders are among the top 10 teams facing the most pressure to have a successful draft this offseason.

"With Pete Carroll arriving as the steady hand at coach while first-year GM John Spytek provides a fresh personnel perspective, the Raiders are hoping to fast-track a surge after having little to show from years of instability and draft whiffs. And in trading for veteran Geno Smith, the Silver and Black gave themselves the flexibility to bow out of a search for a young quarterback in an underwhelming year at the position," Middlehurst-Schwartz said.

"But outside of record-setting rookie tight end Brock Bowers, the rest of the outlook on offense is grim. The league's worst rushing attack requires an overhaul, while the receiver group doesn't offer much beyond Jakobi Meyers' steady hand."

Middlehurst-Schwartz noted that the Raiders' defense faces significant questions heading into next season after their defensive backfield was decimated in free agency. The Raiders must add to the defensive backfield again, and the draft presents the perfect opportunity.

"On defense, Carroll said Las Vegas needed "every one" of its free agents back – and then the team proceeded to lose safety Tre'von Moehrig, cornerback Nate Hobbs and linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo. The secondary looks particularly shaky, with former fourth-round cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson seemingly ill-equipped to slow the rest of the AFC West," Middlehurst-Schwartz said.

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