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There are many holes to fill on the Raiders after they went 6-11 final season and ranked within the backside eight of the NFL in passing protection (242.9 yards per recreation), whole protection (365.6 ypg) and scoring protection (24.6 factors per recreation).
What is going to the place be of the Raiders’ first choice within the NFL draft? You possibly can wager on that proposition at Station Casinos, which lists cornerback because the +125 favourite, adopted by offensive lineman (+175), defensive lineman/edge (+225) and quarterback (+325).
“Though quarterback was mentioned, they usually need assistance on either side of the road of scrimmage, we felt that cornerback was in all probability the No. 1 place the Raiders should tackle,” Pink Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito mentioned. “Cornerback appears to be such a evident want if you play in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson.”
The Raiders have the No. 7 choose, and Station has taken sharp cash on Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon to go underneath his draft place over-under of 7½, shifting the value from -130 to -160.
“Witherspoon is the top-rated nook and one of many prime 10 gamers within the draft,” Esposito mentioned. “He’s a giant nook, he’s bodily and he’s polished. We’ve seen what Sauce Gardner has carried out for the Jets. Witherspoon has these traits to grow to be a shutdown nook in what’s the most pass-happy division in soccer within the AFC West.”
Witherspoon is also a -230 favourite over Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez (+180) in a matchup of which participant can be drafted first. At Caesars Sportsbook, Witherspoon is -190 to be the primary cornerback drafted, whereas Gonzalez is the +140 second selection.
Esposito mentioned it’s a deep draft for offensive linemen, however he might see the Raiders drafting an edge rusher or quarterback with their first choose if the highest ones slip to No. 7.
“If a man like (edge rusher) Tyree Wilson or Jalen Carter slips, that’s all the time a chance,” he mentioned. “There’s a bit of little bit of worth on the quarterback place at over 3-1 if, for some cause, (Anthony) Richardson or (Will) Levis remains to be on the board at that time.
“Then it turns into an intriguing possibility for the Raiders to have (Jimmy) Garoppolo begin for a pair years and have a kind of guys sit behind him.”
Sharp cash additionally has proven on Carter to go over his draft place of 6½, which is as much as -190. Below is +155.
“Eighty to 90 p.c of the mocks have Jalen Carter underneath 6½, but the cash is clearly over 6½,” Esposito mentioned.
4 or 5 QBs?
The variety of quarterbacks drafted within the first spherical is 4½ at Station, the place the underneath on Monday climbed from -120 to -135. Bryce Younger, C.J. Stroud, Richardson and Levis seem like surefire first-round picks, with Hendon Hooker a query mark.
“I don’t suppose Hooker, coming off an damage and being a bit of bit older quarterback, goes to go within the prime 10 or 15, however I might see a crew perhaps buying and selling again late within the first spherical for Hooker,” Esposito mentioned. “It’s that fifth 12 months of eligibility that you just get for a first-round choose. It’s simply such a quarterback-driven league, and this 12 months, there are extra groups with quarterback query marks than I can ever keep in mind.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Observe @tdewey33 on Twitter.
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