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NFL Mock Draft 9.0: Quarterbacks push defensive prospects down board

By Jacob Camenker

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs walks in to the locker room prior to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs walks in to the locker room prior to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies reacts on the bench during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies reacts on the bench during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

10. player. 28. . Nose Tackle. Washington. Vita Vea

The Raiders will have many options with the No. 10 pick. The team’s defense has a lot of holes, and they could add a talent at any level of the defense. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, and Vita Vea will all be options here. Marcus Davenport could even get consideration. But, at the end of the day, Vea could end up being the best option for the Raiders.

Last season, the Raiders struggled to stop the run. They needed some help in the linebacker corps, and they added Tahir Whitehead to be a two-down run stopper. But, adding someone next to Justin Ellis could be a good move, as Eddie Vanderdoes didn’t show much as a rookie. So, adding a big bodied man could help.

Vea would certainly qualify as such. He has a 6-foot-5, 340 pound frame and was a monstrous run stuffer at Washington. He figures to be a high-quality run stuffer at the NFL level, and he also offers a bit as a pass rusher. There’s a chance that he could sneak into the top 10, and the Raiders would represent a solid fit for him.

If Jon Gruden wants to add a fairly safe player who should be a very good pro no matter what, Vea makes sense. He would help the run defense a lot, and the only other player who would make a lot of sense here would be Roquan Smith. But for now, Vea is the pick here.

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