I wouldn’t say the Raiders give me confidence heading into NFL Draft season. Jon Gruden didn’t use his high picks very well last year. But with three first-round picks, the potential is there for Gruden to absolutely crush this NFL Draft, and this mock shows some of that potential.
After picking Brian Burns, the second-best edge rusher in the 2019 NFL Draft, with the No. 4 overall pick, the Raiders come back at pick No. 24 and grab the best interior lineman in the NFL Draft: North Carolina State’s Garrett Bradbury.
Bradbury has been a riser throughout the NFL Draft process. There was a time when he was regarded as a second-rounder who could possibly slip into the first. Now, after a very strong NFL Combine performance, Bradbury is soaring up the charts, and he’ll have a chance to go as early as the mid-first.
With Bradbury, the Raiders get an instant replacement for former Pro Bowl guard Kelechi Osemele, and it wouldn’t take long for Bradbury to potentially become an upgrade. He has the athleticism to maintain his leverage in the middle of the field, and his hands have been constantly improving. Put him in a line with Trent Brown and Rodney Hudson, and Bradbury can flourish. With this pick, the Raiders’ offensive overhaul continues, and they aren’t done yet.