It’s typically pretty easy to guess what position a team will take in Round 1. Last year, it seemed very likely that the Raiders would take an offensive lineman at No. 17 and they did with the Alex Leatherwood selection.
But trying to figure out what a team might do late in the third round is much more difficult. However, there is a tool that might be able to help us predict which position the Raiders could be targeting with their top pick.
According to Pro Football Focus, their current draft simulator has 33 percent of user mock drafts selecting a linebacker for the Raiders at No. 86. The next highest position is offensive tackle at 25 percent. After that, it’s the interior offensive line at 13 percent.
That lines up pretty well with the needs of the Raiders and where the strength of the draft is this year. If the Raiders pick a linebacker at No. 86, there is a pretty good chance they will be getting a quality player. Someone like Channing Tindall (Georgia) or Brandon Smith (Penn…