is a first-round player,” McKenzie said. “That’s why I had to get a first-round pick. Now, has he been inconsistent? Absolutely. Absolutely. But has he shown greatness? Absolutely. The consistency is something that

Greetings Bo Jackson Jersey , Raider Nation! The wonderful thing about following football is that no matter how bad your team is, they can always improve, and there is no offseason when it comes to scouting. The Raiders have a ton of needs on many levels of their team, and the quickest and easiest way to address any deficiencies a team may have is via the Draft.In the following weeks, I will take the positional needs one by one, and address some of the college prospects eligible for the next draft who might be a good fit in the Silver and Black.I’ll start with pass rusher, because that seems to be the Raiders’ greatest weakness this year.Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio StateEarly on this season, Bosa was an absolute force from the defensive end position, wrecking offensive tackles who dared single-block him. He is the younger brother of Chargers DE Joey Bosa, and is considered to be just as good as Joey, if not better. Personally, I think he’s better. But Bosa was injured a few games into the season, and this week announced that he won’t be returning to Ohio State, but will instead leave school to prepare for the upcoming draft. That’s probably a good idea because Bosa has been dominant for a few seasons now and has little left to prove at the collegiate level. He has been one of the best edge rushers in college football since his freshman year. He is not quite as good against the rush, but is as elite as it gets when rushing the passer.Clelin Ferrell, DE, ClemsonThe 6’5” Ferrell, who weighs the same at 265 as Bosa does at 6’3”, plays on a Clemson defensive line composed of nothing but first-round prospects and as a result has had more help than other pass rushers in this draft. Offenses simply can’t focus on him. But Ferrell has easily been the best and most consistent member of that Tigers group, and projects as a big-time end at the NFL level.Ferrell is a sack artist with a penchant for forcing fumbles and can be extremely disruptive. He had 9.5 sacks last year and 18 tackles for loss, which is absurd. Ferrell is extremely quick off the edge and is an absolute nightmare against the pass or run.Josh Allen, OLB, KentuckyOne of the surprising stories of this college football season has been the ascension of the University of Kentucky, which is not known as a football school. One of the big reasons for that has been the consistent excellence of linebacker Josh Allen. Kentucky snapped its long losing streak against Florida almost entirely on the back of Allen, who can take over games the way Khalil Mack can.If you’re looking for someone to fill the Khalil Mack role, Allen is the closest thing you’re going to find in this draft. He’s 6’4”, 250 pounds and runs a 4.6 40. He has a 33.inch arms and 8.5 inch hands, and is every bit the physical marvel you want from a rush linebacker. Allen would have been a first-round pick had he come out in this year’s draft, but he chose to go back to school to raise his stock further. Allen had seven sacks in both 2016 and 2017, and has the versatility to play inside or outside. Jalen Jelks, DE/OLB, OregonWhile the first three men on this list are first-round picks, Jelks probably isn’t, and could be had in the second or perhaps even third round depending on his Combine performance. But Jelks is no less a pass-rush whiz, and has tremendous speed and quickness off the edge at 6’5” and 244 pounds. He has the ability to bull rush or spin around blockers, and is superb in pursuit of quarterbacks and ball carriers. He has a high motor and excellent football instincts, but is lanky will need to add more weight to his huge frame to handle the rush at the next level. His ceiling is very high and he will be a good value pick where he is projected to be drafted at this point.Ed Oliver, DT. HoustonIt is entirely possible that Oliver will be the first pick in the 2019 Draft, and if the Raiders suck enough to have that pick, they should strongly consider taking Oliver despite the fact that they took two defensive tackles in the 2018 Draft. Oliver is without question the best interior lineman available in this draft https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey , and is the best since Aaron Donald, to whom he compares favorably. Donald fell in the draft due to his height at only six feet tall, but Oliver has no such concerns at 6’3” and 295 pounds. He looks the part more than Donald did. Oliver is almost always double and triple teamed, and manages to produce at an elite level despite this. He is quick and explosive at the point of attack and is always providing pressure in the opposing backfield. In addition to pressuring the quarterback, he is adept at getting his hands up to bat down passes. When you think Oliver, think prime Fletcher Cox mixed with Geno Atkins.The Raiders already have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and may not be done wheeling and dealing, and it’s feasible that they could take more than one pass rusher in the first round despite their other needs (which I will be addressing in forthcoming articles). This is a terrific class of pass rushers and if the Raiders want to be competitive again, they absolutely must take advantage of that fact and secure more talent in that area. ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Soon after Jon Gruden arrived for his second stint as Oakland Raiders coach last winter he called Amari Cooper a “focal point” of the offense and pointed to Khalil Mack as a reason why he came back to coaching.Less than two months into his first season back in Oakland, both former Pro Bowlers are gone.The Raiders returned from the bye week Monday and immediately made another big trade, dealing Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick. That trade follows the one made just over a week before the start of the season that sent Mack to Chicago for a package that included a pair of first-round picks.Now a team that won 12 games less than two years ago and was viewed as an up-and-coming franchise with core young players such as Mack, Cooper and quarterback is in full-fledged rebuild mode after a 1-5 start to the season.“It’s disappointing. Real disappointing,” general manager Reggie McKenzie said. “It was starting to get that way last year when we somewhat took a nosedive, but I understand the NFL, the system will not allow you to keep them all.”The Raiders have three first-round picks for the first time since 1988, when they took Hall of Famer Tim Brown, five-time Pro Bowler Terry McDaniel and Scott Davis.They have plenty of holes on the roster as evidenced by the early season struggles and will now look to rebuild through the draft.“We’re building this thing in concert together, I’m talking about me and coach Gru,” general manager Reggie McKenzie said. “We’re doing this thing together. When we make a deal, I think these picks are going to help this team tremendously, bottom line. It’s something I saw as a great opportunity. We’re not tanking this season. These guys will have to step up and continue to work to win some ballgames. That will always be the case.”The deal came while the Raiders were on the practice field Monday and left his teammates surprised. But they later said it’s just part of the business of football and wished Cooper well in Dallas.“We still have to come in here and perform on Sunday with whoever we got,” running back Jalen Richard said. “Just focus in on the Colts and let everybody upstairs handle what they have to handle.”The deal is the latest move to raise questions about the relationship between McKenzie and Gruden. McKenzie was kept on as general manager after owner Mark Davis fired Jack Del Rio last offseason and lured Gruden back to coaching after several unsuccessful attempts.While McKenzie kept his title as general manager, Gruden was given a 10-year contract worth up to $100 million, making him the clear top dog in the organization. McKenzie tried to downplay that even after the team dealt away two of his recent first-round picks and Gruden has been unwilling to give significant playing time to 2016 and ’17 first-rounders Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley.“Gruden and I, we work together very well. Let’s make no mistakes about it,” McKenzie said. “Him pushing me out, that’s not happening. Me, not being able to work with Gruden, that’s furthest from the truth. OK? We work really well together. We’re in each other’s offices all the time. Talking about players, who’s up, who’s down. Who I would like to see play more. Practice squad guys. About moving this guy. Claiming this guy. Trading. Guys calling me about trading this guy, ‘Here’s what I think, what do you think?'”While trading Mack depleted an already suspect defense lacking consistent pass rush, the move to cut ties with Cooper is more nuanced. He looked to be on his way to stardom after being picked fourth overall out of Alabama in 2015.Cooper was the third receiver to start his career with back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards receiving and 70 catches, following Odell Beckham Jr. and Marques Colston, but has been unable to build on that success the past two years.He has just 70 catches for 960 yards since the start of 2016 as his inconsistency has become a bigger problem. Cooper has been held under 30 yards receiving in 13 of his past 26 games. Cooper has 3,183 yards and 19 touchdowns in three-plus seasons.“I still think he is a first-round player,” McKenzie said. “That’s why I had to get a first-round pick. Now, has he been inconsistent? Absolutely. Absolutely. But has he shown greatness? Absolutely. The consistency is something that I am sure he has worked on and this guy is still a young player, you know. I think he is going to do well down in Dallas.”NOTES: The Raiders placed RB Marshawn Lynch on IR with a groin injury. He will be eligible to return for the Christmas Eve game against Denver. … DT Eddie Vanderdoes resumed practice following offseason knee surgery. The Raiders have 21 days to decide whether to activate him or shut him down for the season. … LB James Cowser was signed to the practice squad.