The Las Vegas Raiders' offense is starting to come together after they used their first-round pick on Ashton Jeanty. He'll be an amazing player for their offense, but he will not single-handedly shift the tides for this Raiders team.
They have plenty of needs across their roster, and one of them is a reliable linebacker who could help against the run but also hold up in coverage across the middle of the field. They spent money in free agency to bring in veteran linebackers, Elandon Roberts and Devin White, to help them out with this problem, but they are temporary solutions to what is a larger problem for the Raiders.
If they want their defense to continue to get better and be as good as it can be on paper, they'll be wise to use one of their day two picks on a linebacker. Luckily for them, there are still plenty of amazing prospects available, and they have two high picks in the second and third rounds.
The first player that the Raiders should be targeting is Carson Schwesinger from UCLA. He played all three years of his collegiate career with the Bruins, but didn't explode onto the scene until his final season there.
In 2024, he had 136 total tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, and forced one fumble. Schwesinger is a player they could start immediately, and he'd have an impact the second he steps foot in Allegiant Stadium. If the Raiders want him, they'll more likely than not have to use the 37th overall pick, as I don't expect him to fall to the third round.
If the Raiders want to use their high second-round pick elsewhere, they could target Demetrius Knight Jr. in the third round. He's 25 years old and is an incoming rookie, but the Raiders know what to expect if they draft him, even if he doesn't have much room for improvement.
He has good instincts on the ball, and while he may not have all the physical tools to get there, he does have a motor that enables him to play on all three downs and brings energy with every tackle. In 2024, he had 82 total tackles, two sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and defended against one pass.
Finally, another player they can target in the third round is Chris Paul Jr. from the University of Mississippi. In 2024, he had 86 total tackles, one interception, 3.5 sacks, and defended against four passes. He's better in coverage and excels at doing whatever is asked of him in the defensive scheme, but could improve on his decision-making.
Overall, the Raiders should look into drafting any of these players, or any defensive prospect at all, if they want to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the AFC West. Getting Brock Bowers and Jeanty in back-to-back drafts is amazing for their offense, the Raiders should keep up that momentum in later rounds and cap off what could be a franchise-altering offseason.
