2019 NFL Mock Draft: Projected first round after Week 9
7. player. 28. . DE. Mississippi State. Montez Sweat
The Raiders’ wheeling and dealing since Jon Gruden took over as head coach has netted Oakland three first round picks. With their own pick here, I look for the Raiders to grab a pass rusher to replace Khalil Mack.
Mack’s production is sorely missed on the Oakland defense as the Raiders rank dead-last in the NFL with just 7 sacks through 6 games. It would be unfair to expect Montez Sweat to fill the big shoes left by Mack’s departure, but he is more than capable of getting after the quarterback.
Sweat sits in a tie-for-third in the country with 8.5 sacks and has also racked up 11.5 tackles-for-loss this season. He was extremely productive as a junior in 2017 as well, racking up 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks. Sweat has keyed a ferocious Mississippi State defense line and would be an immediate upgrade for the Raiders.
Oakland has many other needs and they have the capital to address a plethora of them in the first round of this class. If they eschew a pass rusher with the first pick, guys like Alabama’s Deionte Thompson or LSU’s Devin White would make a lot of sense as defensive upgrades.