The Oakland Raiders have plenty of needs to address in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft, but for the first year in quite a while, fans are confident that their team will get the players they need.
Oakland built a long, depressing list of draft busts with their recent misfires, from stone-handed WR Darrius Heyward-Bey to legendary QB disappointment JaMarcus Russell. Recently-installed GM Reggie McKenzie reversed that trend in last year's draft, though, adding the excellent Khalil Mack at outside linebacker and unearthing QB gem Derek Carr in the second round.
The Raiders ended their 2014 campaign 3-13 after Sunday's loss to Denver, leaving them tied for the third-worst overall finish with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville will pick ahead of Oakland, though, because of their easier strength of schedule. Tennessee will pick second overall, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picking first.
At #4, the Raiders will have a shot at Alabama star WR Amari Cooper, and there's also the possibility that one of the draft's elite linemen - USC's Leonard Williams or Nebraska's Shane Ray - will fall into their lap. While help on the defensive line would be nice, Oakland desperately needs to get Carr some help...so don't be surprised if Cooper's name gets called when the Raiders' pick rolls around.
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