2019 NFL Mock Draft: Oakland Raiders Select DT Quinnen Williams at No. 4

With the 4th pick in the 2019 DBN Community NFL Mock Draft, the Oakland Raiders select...

Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama

The selection and write-up were made by mrwhitman:

The Raiders brought in Mike Mayock to be their General Manager after 14 years with the NFL Network as an analyst and broadcaster. The head coach is Jon Gruden, the former broadcaster and Raiders HC. Gruden dismissed former GM Reggie McKenzie at the end of last season after trading away two of the team’s marquee players in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper during the season. Part of McKenzie’s firing could be attributed to some in the front office that he did not get enough return value in the Mack trade from the Chicago Bears. Although they received two 1^st round picks for the deal, McKenzie was released and Mayock was brought in.

Mike Mayock’s first and primary need is to restock the defensive line. The Raiders traded away Mack and cut Bruce Irvin last year which contributed to a league-worst 13 sacks and the fewest forced fumbles with only 5 FFs. Their defense went on to pull up the rear in multiple defensive statistical categories in 2018.

It is not just about having a pass rusher, it is about pass disruption, bringing pressure, collapsing the pocket and of course getting to the quarterback. The Raiders will draft a pass disrupter and his name is Quinnen Williams, a DT who will play more as an end in coordinator, Paul Guenther’s defense, but very well could bounce up and down the defensive line. They would had preferred if Nick Bosa or Josh Allen had dropped to them but alas, they did not. The Raiders will settle with taking the third of the Top 3 elite pass disrupters.

I can also see Mayock and Gruden taking a true edge defender here as well. Although, somewhat of a reach, Montez Sweat and Brian Burns could be in play here as well. Ed Oliver is an option too but Mike Mayock does not seem enthralled with the Houston Cougar product. Mike Mayock had Khalil Mack as his top overall prospect in 2014 and the desire to recreate Mack will be strong. The Raiders are sitting on three 1^st round picks this year in a heavy defensive draft. Perhaps the Raiders can try to photocopy Mack with one of those other picks. The best way to replace Mack would had been not to trade him in the first place but they did and now they are shopping for his replacement somewhere in the 2019 draft. Another option for the Raiders is to trade back and collect more picks for this rebuild they are in. These are all options but to make the call, the Raiders select Quinnen Williams at 4 and tackle other holes later that night.

Pokorny: “I like the explanation, and the top teams in this year’s draft should be focusing on the deep defensive line/edge rusher class if they aren’t in need of a quarterback. Williams is the top-ranked player at his position, and although it’s not the edge rusher the Raiders might need, he has the bonus of bringing that pressure from the inside.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are up next, led by xfl2001fan.