Raiders Draft Predictions 2021: Who Will Las Vegas Pick In the First, Second Rounds?

The Las Vegas Raiders have some roster holes to fill in the 2021 NFL Draft. Hitting on this weekend’s first and second-round picks is especially important, following a 7-9 season and no playoff appearance for the 16th time in the last 17 years.

Las Vegas owns the No. 17 overall pick and the No. 48 overall pick.

There is a growing consensus regarding which positions Las Vegas will target. The direction of the draft is likely to determine which options the Raiders ultimately choose.

The Raiders will try to improve their offensive line or pass rush with the No. 17 pick, according to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager. Most mock drafts have Las Vegas doing just that, depending on which players are still on the board.

Micha Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jamin Davis are among the edge rushers that the Raiders are expected to consider.

Only three teams had fewer sacks in the 2020 season than Las Vegas. The Raiders totaled just 21 sacks. Las Vegas ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 29.9 points per game.

Offensive line depth is an issue for the Raiders after the unit saw a mass exodus at the start of free agency. They traded left tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots and center Rodney Hudson to the Arizona Cardinals.

Tackles Tevin Jenkins and Christian Darrisaw have been linked to Las Vegas in the first round. The team might decide to wait until the second round to grab an offensive lineman, considering a potential starter might still be available.

A couple of offensive tackles from the nation's top college football teams should be on the board after Day 1.

Las Vegas had a strong offensive last season, ranking in the top 10 in both total yards and points. Derek Carr had arguably his best season as the Raiders’ quarterback with 27 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 101.4 passer rating.

First-Round Prediction: LB Micha Parsons, Penn State

Second-Round Prediction: OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama