The Oakland Raiders have been one of the more active teams this offseason and heading into the draft they may target players like Amari Cooper, Kevin White or Marcus Mariota and this comes as names like Michael Crabtree, Greg Jennings, Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks are available on the free agent market and could be options for Derek Carr on offense.
The Raiders added Roy Helu and Trent Richardson to the backfield to help get their running game going and now they could look at adding another wide receiver. Last offseason the team signed James Jones and they could look at adding more depth with players like Crabtree and Jennings available. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, receiver remains a top need for GM Reggie McKenzie and he could look at drafting a player at that position this year in the first round.
Mel Kiper Jr. and other draft experts have Amari Cooper going to the Raiders at number four, as they expect Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota to go number one and two before the Jaguars and Raiders pick. The Raiders are set at quarterback and while they may look at taking a wide receiver, they already have some young options with Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns. Cooper is being looked at as one of the best prospects in the draft, while Kevin White and DeVante Parker are also getting attention from scouts. Parker has visited with the Miami Dolphins and Cooper is expected to meet with a number of teams ahead of the draft.
Williamson writes that the Raiders may look at some veteran wide receiver options on the market this offseason, as they would like some more depth for Derek Carr. The team may still draft a WR and sign another veteran, as those players likely will be cheap and could end up as high upside, low risk options for McKenzie. Jennings is coming off of two decent seasons with the Vikings, while Crabtree has spent his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers reportedly will remain interested in Crabtree as long as he is on the market, but right now no deal is close. According to Pro Football Talk, sources report that Crabtree is willing to wait to sign a deal so he can find the best situation for him in 2015. Jennings has had interest from the Jaguars and the Dolphins and he has also met with the Carolina Panthers. Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are also free agent options.
The Raiders have made a number of moves this offseason, including signing Trent Richardson, Roy Helu, Dan Williams, Rodney Hudson at center as well as Nate Allen and Malcolm Smith to the defense. The team also added Curtis Lofton at linebacker and while none of those are huge moves like adding someone like Ndamukong Suh or Randall Cobb, the Raiders have received praise from NFL analysts this offseason, according to ESPN.
Last season Cooper had 124 catches for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns and that could make him a top five pick. White is coming off of a strong season for West Virginia and he put up solid numbers at the NFL combine, including a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. White had over 100 catches last season and added 10 TDs for WVU.