3 Players the Raiders Need to Avoid With Their Top Draft Pick

The current offseason has already been busy for the Las Vegas Raiders and things are going to pick up even more with the 2022 NFL Draft only two weeks away.

Although the Raiders no longer own their first- or second-round pick due to the Davante Adams trade with the Green Bay Packers, they still have five picks at their disposal — with the best being No. 86 in the third round.

The Raiders still need help in a handful of areas and this year's class is solid enough to help management address them. Having said that, there are still players that Las Vegas should avoid drafting 86th overall.

Here are three players that the Raiders need to avoid with their top draft pick.

Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft

1. Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State

The Raiders still lack reliable offensive tackle depth at this point in the offseason, making it one of their top priorities. Keeping that in mind, one OT that they should avoid is Washington State's Abraham Lucas. Although his status as first-team All-Pac-12 last season was impressive, Lucas struggled at times with pass protection — something the Raiders need if they're going to keep up with the other AFC West juggernauts. He also struggles to keep up with faster defenders and can have his footwork called into question. With Las Vegas needing to be competitive next season, Lucas may be too much of a project.

2. Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky

With pick No. 86 being in the third round, the Raiders might just end up drafting the best player available, which could end up being Kentucky wideout Wan'Dale Robinson. Although he had an impressive 1,334-yard campaign last year, there are some reasons for Kentucky to avoid Robinson. On one hand, the 2021 season is his only one playing as a full-time WR, so the sample size of what he can do is small. There's also the fact that Kentucky didn't have the greatest wideout depth in 2021, meaning his production could just be because of the circumstance rather than his true skill. With the Raiders already having Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller to rely on in the passing game, there's not much of a reason to go with Robinson.

3. Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia

The Raiders might pursue a CB with the 86th overall pick. It just shouldn't be Georgia's Derion Kendrick. While he's solid in coverage and has good ball skills, Kendrick lacks the speed to keep up with the NFL's top threats. His 4.75-second 40-yard dash was one of the slower times among CBs at the Combine. Scouts are also concerned that he doesn't compete on every play. With how dangerous some of the top AFC West WRs are, the Raiders should look elsewhere.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.