The Raiders would pick fourth in the first round if the NFL draft was held today.
It is not.
There are a lot of teams that have merged at the end of the standings. The order of the first round will be reshuffled each week for the remainder of the season based on the results.
Sunday’s win over the Broncos, for example, dropped the Raiders two places in the order from second to fourth.
Where they end up ultimately could have a big impact on who the Raiders might pick in the first round. But offensive and defensive lines, along with linebackers, secondary and possibly a large, physical wide receiver are on the list of needs.
Given the team’s struggles and Derek Carr’s contract structure, a quarterback is also a real possibility.
Each week we’ll be watching how some of the players are likely to get close to the Raiders selection in college.
Best prospects
CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State, and Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
We will keep these two packaged as #1 and #1A prospects in this class. There are other great players in this draft, but quality quarterbacks will always be considered a top pick. If you choose fourth place, the Raiders can even be taken out of the conversation for both players as they could be taken off the board.
Young is coming off an efficient 18-of-24 game against Austin Peay, where he threw for 221 yards and two points in a 34-0 win. Stroud went 18-to-30 for 241 yards and a goal in a shootout win over Maryland.
Both players are putting some distance between themselves and Kentucky QB Will Levis, who just hasn’t made a move and continues to be plagued by turnovers.
Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama
Anderson, the top non-quarterback in the class, saw his streak of back-to-back games with a sack snapped on three. However, he helped the Crimson Tide defense to a shutout victory that held Austin Peay for 206 yards overall. He had defended four tackles and one pass. Anderson has eight sacks in the season.
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
The Raiders struggled to create a big pass rush down the middle, and Carter was quick to fix that problem. He is only now coming into full swing after an injury that ruled him out for several weeks, but is an absolute game-changing force in the center of defense for the nation’s best team. Carter had five tackles against Kentucky last week.
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Another athletic freak in the middle who is far more adept at getting into the gaps and causing chaos in the backfield than he is a traditional line clogger on the line of scrimmage. Bresee missed last week’s win against Miami with a sore throat but is expected back for Saturday’s rivalry game against South Carolina.
Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwest
The top pass-blocking tackle in the draft has allowed just one sack and five rushes all season and has a national-high pass-blocking score of 92.6 from Pro Football Focus. Skoronski didn’t allow any pressure against Purdue on Saturday, his second straight clean sheet.
Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
He’s a very long fringe athlete who’s very good at getting to quarterback but excels as a runstopper. He could make a nice bookend for Maxx Crosby and is coming off a two-tackle game against Miami.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Texas Christian
Johnston, who had a touchdown in five straight games before Baylor kept him out of the end zone on Saturday, could be a good fit for Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. He has a large body and tremendous ability as a runner after catching when the ball is in his hands. He had four catches for 48 yards on Saturday.
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected] consequences @AdamHillLVRJ on twitter.