The Oakland Raiders may look at the running back position in the 2016 NFL draft to help add depth behind Latavius Murray for next season.
The Raiders made some great strides on offense in 2015, but one glaring weakness for the team was the running back position behind starter Latavius Murray. The team signed Roy Helu to a contract in the offseason to be the main backup and third down back, but injuries and inconsistency stopped him from doing anything productive last season. Taiwan Jones had some strong moments, but overall the team did not get enough out of the position behind Murray.
The Raiders hold the number 14 pick in the draft this year and there is a chance they could go after a running back in the first round. There are some solid options for the team to consider, including Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott and Devontae Booker. WalteFootball.com has Elliott as the top rated back in the draft ahead of Henry and Booker, while players like Paul Perkins, Alex Collins, CJ Procise and Kenneth Dixon are in the top 10.
Last season Murray rushed for over 1000 yards, but the Raiders still ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards. A player like Elliott could be the perfect complement for Murray, as he has explosive ability and can evade tackles after posting a 6.3 yards per carry average at Ohio State last season. Elliott rushed for 1821 yards and 23 touchdowns last season and he also showed that he can handle blocking on passing downs, which is something that NFL scouts will be looking at very closely.
Henry won the Heisman Trophy last season at Alabama and he comes in after putting up over 2000 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns. Henry is a beast of a player at 241 pounds and he has pretty good speed for a player his size. Henry showed that he can run up the middle and on the outside while at Alabama and he also is considered a strong blocker on blitzing plays.
The Raiders may also look at the offensive line in the first round, as that could be another way to boost the running game without drafting a running back. Mel Kiper at ESPN has the team taking Jack Conklin at number 14 and he comes in rated as the number three offensive tackle at Walter Football. Taylor Decker is number four and also could be an option out of Ohio State. Laremy Tunsil and Ronnie Stanley are the top two players rated at the position, but they likely will be off the board when the Raiders pick.
