NFL Draft Rumors: Aaron Donald at 5 is ‘too rich for the Raiders blood’

Although the Oakland Raiders can make plenty of guesses as to who will be gone before the head to podium to make the fifth overall pick, they clearly can’t be sure although they can probably guess that former Clemson Tigers’ wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who many believe they covet, won’t be there.

One player the Raiders really like is former Pittsburgh Panthers’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but they’d probably only select him if they traded down.

According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, selecting Donald that early is “too rich for the Radiers’ blood.”

"The Raiders like Aaron Donald. A lot. Draftniks have warmed up to the disruptive Pittsburgh DT as well, saying if he were a few inches taller, he, rather than Khalil Mack, would be the one flying up draft boards. As such, No. 5 might be too rich for the Raiders’ blood, but if they are able to trade back a few spots and Donald is still there, it would not shock me at all to see the Raiders strike."

Many scouts and pundits view Donald one of the better defensive tackle prospect to come through the draft in a while, but it seems like many don’t value him as a truly elite prospect despite his incredible season in 2013. He had 59 tackles, 28.5 for loss and 11.0 sacks.