The majority of mock drafts in the last few weeks have Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going to the Raiders with the no. 6 pick, but Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter brought up a new name watch in his latest podcast.
Carpenter has the Raiders taking University of Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker in his latest mock draft, but it was a statement on Walker by an anonymous NFL executive that was even more eye opening.
Carpenter said he polled five NFL executives who were all drafting after the Raiders and one of those executives said his team puts Walker in a category with two of the most dynamic linebackers to enter the draft in the last 10 years.
”Jeanty clearly has value at [pick] six, but we have Jalon as the best linebacker coming out since Micah Parsons,” the NFL executive told Carpenter. “And we had Micah at the same grade as Khalil [Mack].”
Obviously, that’s a huge statement about Walker and if his potential is anywhere close to Parsons and Mack, he deserves serious consideration with the sixth pick, or even sooner.
In his latest mock draft, Todd McShay has the Jacksonville Jaguars taking Walker one pick ahead of the Raiders, so there is definite buzz around the Georgia linebacker with the draft now less than two weeks away.
As for Jeanty, he’s still a popular pick for the Silver & Black. McShay and Mel Kiper both have him going to Las Vegas in their latest mock drafts.
Right now, though, the beat writers covering the Raiders seem to be leaning away from Jeanty just a little.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur talked about the draft in a radio segment on Wednesday and he dropped a name that hasn’t been linked to the Raiders as much in recent days.
“If Mason Graham is there at six, I wouldn’t be surprised if [the Raiders] take him,” Tafur said on Raider Nation Radio’s Unnecessary Roughness with Q Myers.
“I think they want to have that Eagles type defensive line,” Tafur continued. “That would definitely be a clear strength for them, the guys who can rotate in and out. There would be a lot of talent in that D-line, I think, in Mason Graham. So that could be a strength… so I still think he’s a strong option there at six, even if Jeanty is on the board.”
