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The Raiders seem set at linebacker. That’s something new, considering how thin they were at the position last season.
Middle linebacker Nick Roach was lost in the preseason due to concussion-like symptoms. Weakside linebacker Sio Moore went missing twice, once with an ankle injury and again with a hip ailment that required surgery and will sideline him until training camp. Kaluka Maiava ended up on injured reserve as well.
Miles Burris and Khalil Mack kept this patchwork group together in 2014, but general manager Reggie McKenzie brought in reinforcements through free agency.
Ironman Curtis Lofton will man the middle. Malcolm Smith will provide reinforcements on the weak side. Burris is now a backup and Moore will be back, adding strength and depth to this position group.
You’d think McKenzie’s actions would suggest the team strays from linebacker in this draft. That may be accurate, but there are exceptions to this rule. The Raiders need a pass rusher, and finding a hybrid player like Mack, especially with the Buffalo product’s ability to play defensive end, could become a priority.
Who’s here: Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miles Burris, Bojay Filimoeatu, Spencer Hadley, Justin Jackson, Curtis Lofton, Khalil Mack, Sio Moore, Malcolm Smith
Draft needs: Mack’s versatility is a real plus, and the Raiders might target someone like him, another interchangeable part, in the upper portions of this draft.
Good fits: If the draft goes according to plan, with quarterbacks taken in the top two, only Jacksonville prevents the Raiders from having the pick of the litter. That will leave some mighty fine pass rushers on the table. The best might be Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr., a Khalil Mack clone who can play defensive end and strongside linebacker. The Raiders went to South Carolina to give Clemson’s Vic Beasley a workout. He’s believed to be the best pure pass rusher in this draft, and could fit in well with what defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. wants from his front.
Those two are options at No. 4 overall, and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory is an option is the team chooses to trade back. It’s hard to imagine the Raiders focusing on linebacker later on. If they don’t take a hybrid high, they may stay away from the position altogether.
