The Oakland Raiders have a top five draft pick this year and names like Amari Cooper, Leonard Williams, Kevin White, Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley could be potential targets and this comes as the team is not looking to make the Adrian Peterson trade, as the Vikings running back likely will not be traded this offseason.
The Raiders came into the offseason with needs all over the place and they were very active in free agency. While the team signed Michael Crabtree as a free agent, they likely will target the wide receiver position in the draft. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, the Raiders are looking at Cooper and White as the top targets at the number four pick. Williamson also writes that Leonard Williams and Dante Fowler are potential options if they slip to four.
The Raiders have been mentioned in some reports as a team that could look at trading out of the top 10 depending on how the first three picks go. The Miami Dolphins are calling around looking to trade up, as CBS Sports reports they could be eyeing Kevin White or Amari Cooper. The first four picks are very interesting this year, as Jameis Winston is expected to go number one, but with the Titans holding the ley to Marcus Mariota, teams could look at trades.
If Mariota goes at number two, the Jaguars have the chance to dictate things, as Cooper, White, Fowler and Williams all will be available. According to Pro Football Talk, the Jaguars could be interested in taking Cooper and that could shake things up at the top. Fowler and Williams have been predicted as the pick in most mock drafts and if the Jags take Cooper, teams could look at making trades. If the Raiders covet Cooper over White, the team could trade back with a team like the Dolphins and try to draft DeVante Parker in the middle of the first round.
Gurley is getting more attention in the top 10, but the number four pick is likely too high for him. Charles Robinson at Yahoo Sports reports that Gurley could go in the top 10, as he is considered the top running back in the draft. The Raiders may look at that position as well, but with a deep class of players, expect that to happen in the late rounds. Gordon is considered the second best RB in the draft and players like Tevin Coleman, Jay Ajayi and Ameer Abdullah also could go in the middle rounds.
The Adrian Peterson deal appears dead overall and on the Raiders' side of things. The team was never a top option for Peterson, but they were reported as a potential destination. The team has been smart in the draft over the past few years and Reggie McKenzie likely did not want to give up that compensation for an aging player. Peterson is a hall of famer, but he is 30 and missed all of last season. The Raiders already signed Trent Richardson and Roy Helu and they likely will add at least one running back in the draft, which would make adding Peterson a bit of a waste since the team has solid depth already with Latavius Murray.