The Raiders will be focusing on defense this offseason, and they’re already gathering some momentum.
This week, Oakland added former Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano to Jack Del Rio’s staff, as assistant head coach/defense. Now, too, Raiders scouts at the Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala., are reportedly concentrating on defensive prospects.
USA Today reports that Tennessee-Chattanooga defensive end Keionta Davis, BYU inside linebacker Harvey Langi, Miami cornerback Corn Elder and Boston College safety John Johnson have been interviewed by the Raiders this week in the lead-up to Saturday’s Senior Bowl game.
Getting more help up the middle – on the defensive line and inside linebacker – would seem to be a priority for the Raiders this offseason, so Davis and Langi could be on the team’s radar. Langi, in particular, is projected as a late-round choice who could enhance his standing with a good performance this week. At 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, he’s an athletic player who also served as a running back this past season.
The majority of mock drafts have the Raiders selecting a defensive player with the 24th overall pick, with many projecting defensive tackle Malik McDowell of Michigan State as the favorite. Cornerback also is a popular choice, especially because of David Amerson’s regression in 2016 as a starting corner in Oakland. Among the cornerbacks listed as possible targets are Teez Tabor of Florida, Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State, Adoree Jackson of USC, Sidney Jones of Washington and Jourdan Lewis of Michigan.
Wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com: “The Raiders had hoped their offseason changes at cornerback would help shore up that deficiency, but it looks shaky at best. The Raiders have improved their offensive line greatly and now they need a stout defensive tackle. Middle linebacker is a possibility.”
