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NFL Draft 2018: Oakland Raiders 7-round mock draft

By Joe Romano

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 9, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Georgia won 20-19. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 9, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Georgia won 20-19. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 10: Harrison Phillips #66 of the Stanford Cardinal plays in an NCAA Pac-12 football game against the University of Washington Huskies on November 10, 2017 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 10: Harrison Phillips #66 of the Stanford Cardinal plays in an NCAA Pac-12 football game against the University of Washington Huskies on November 10, 2017 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) /

Round 2 – Pick 41

Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford

After grabbing Smith, Oakland should continue the run of defensive prospects to help that team. Harrison Phillips would give them a nasty interior defensive lineman to help protect their new first round pick.

The Stanford product is getting end of round one buzz. In this scenario he gets pushed into the early second round. This is a deep defensive tackle class, and it’s not a highly prioritized position. Seeing Phillips slide into this range seems realistic.

On the field Phillips is a productive, and disruptive, defensive tackle. The former wrestler may not be the elite athlete that some defensive tackles in this class are. What he does bring is a unique ability to find the football and anchor in the run game. If stuck at nose tackle, he may struggle. His best strengths are utilized as a gap penetrating tackle.

These projections are really based around what would fit with the pieces that are already in place. Phillips would pair nicely with last year’s rookie Eddie Vanderdoes as a pair of active defensive tackles. Khalil Mack would benefit from some space eaters up front like that.

The Raiders could also try to grab a wide receiver here in a deep wide receiver class. Michael Crabtree has likely played his last down in Oakland. Amari Cooper struggled in all facets last year. Behind those two there is not much so it would make sense for them to grab a player like LSU’s D.J. Chark, Maryland’s D.J. Moore or Oklahoma State’s James Washington.

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