2014 NFL Mock Draft: OLB Anthony Barr to Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are obviously an organization with needs. Oakland has gone 4-11 this season, and with a game against the Denver Broncos, there’s a chance the Raiders will finish 2013 with a 4-12 record.

That’s not good however you slice it, though it will give the Raiders a pretty good position in the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft. That’s a bright spot in an otherwise very bad season.

Scrolling through mocks on the internet, the best I’ve found for Oakland so far in the first round is Johnny Manziel, courtesy of WalterFootball.com.

I like the pick because it gives the Raiders somebody with serious skill and swag at the quarterback position, and they’ve been missing that for quite some time. Another mock I’ve seen out there though, from Chris Burke of SI.com, has the Raiders taking outside linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA.

Let’s break that down now.

Here’s what Burke has to say:

"Slotted in Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans to Oakland last week, when the Raiders picked No. 3. He’s still on the board this time around at No. 4, so why the change?Well, partially to mix things up a bit for discussion’s sake. But also because it has become abundantly clear over the past few weeks that the Raiders will not go anywhere without doing something about their defense. One player will not turn the tide on his own, but Barr has the still-developing skill off the edge to strike fear into opponents."

I like the pick of Barr here for Oakland, though I would like the Manziel pick much better.

Barr is 6’4”, 248 pounds and had a very productive 2013 season for the Bruins. He notched 63 tackles and 10 sacks.