NFL Draft 2018: Oakland Raiders 7-round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 4 – Pick 112
Josh Sweat, EDGE, Florida State
The Raiders have one of the NFL’s best pass rushers in Khalil Mack. Opposite Mack there is soon-to-be-free agent Aldon Smith, Mario Edwards Jr. and Bruce Irvin. The latter of which may not be back with the team. Oakland has an odd set of pieces on their defense. Aside from Mack, no one in the front seven is considered a solid starter. In round four, Oakland should look for a compliment to Mack on passing downs. That is what Florida State’s Josh Sweat can be.
Sweat was one of the nation’s most heralded recruits coming out of high school. He produced the minute he stepped on campus in Tallahassee with two sacks and five tackles for loss. The edge rusher totaled 12.5 sacks in three seasons at Florida State. He is the toolsy player that needs some NFL coaching to get the most of him as a player. That, plus some medical concerns are why the range in which he is drafted has varied early in the process.
What Sweat does have is long arms and excellent bend around the edge. At FSU he flashed some of the best pass rushing reps in the class. However, there are concerns that he is a hot and cold player, never a good indictment entering the NFL. If a coach can get him in the right mindset, and Gruden may be that guy, there is plenty of potential that Sweat develops into a starting rusher. At the very least he can be a pass rushing specialist with Oakland while moving Mario Edwards inside on long distance downs.