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2016 NFL mock draft: Final edition

By Matt Verderame

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 21: Reggie Ragland
TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 21: Reggie Ragland /

Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama

No team has improved more than the Oakland Raiders this offseason. General manager Reggie McKenzie went to work in free agency, signing cornerback Sean Smith, safety Reggie Nelson, guard Kelechi Osemele and outside linebacker Bruce Irvin. The offense is already set with playmakers dotting the landscape, so look for McKenzie to go defense with this pick.

Frankly, the Raiders could use this selection to improve any of the three levels. Oakland has a great set of edge rushers but could add a run-stuffer on the interior to help Dan Williams. At linebacker, there is an obvious hole up the middle and the secondary is still short a corner and safety.

With all that in mind, Reggie Ragland out of the University of Alabama makes the most sense. While David Amerson isn’t a great player, he is a capable corner and alongside D.J. Hayden and Smith, forms a respectable secondary. The major hole in the lineup is at middle linebacker, a place Ragland can come in and start at immediately. McKenzie knows that without a stalwart here, teams will be able to run amok on Oakland this season. Ragland fixes that problem and then some for a promising team.

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