Raiders

NFL Mock Draft 2013: Raiders could address offensive or defensive line

The Raiders could address the offensive or defensive line with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, according to mock draft experts.

By Louis Bien@louisbien Feb 27, 2013, 12:06pm PST

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The Oakland Raiders need help everywhere in the 2013 NFL Draft, but many mock drafts have the Silver and Black targeting offensive and defensive linemen with the No. 3 overall pick. The defensive line is in need of arguably more help, with Richard Seymour and Desmond Bryant set to become unrestricted free agents, but a member of a deep class of offensive tackles may be too difficult to pass up.

More: SB Nation's complete 2013 NFL Combine coverage

The Raiders have a number of options if they do go defense, though Don Banks of Sports Illustrated likes Florida's Sharrif Floyd after his strong combine performance (assuming Dee Milliner is off the board):

If the Jaguars pounce on a defensive lineman at No. 2, it'll be Floyd. In that case, look for Milliner to land in Oakland, because the Raiders are equally desperate for cornerbacks. But Floyd running a 4.92 at almost 300 pounds got everyone's attention in Indy, and no matter the slot, he's now the favorite to become the first defensive lineman off the board.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports, meanwhile, sees Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel falling to Oakland, with Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher going No. 1 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs:

The Raiders' front office is trying to rebuild things from the bottom up, and establish a franchise more rooted in fundamentals and a consistent organizational philosophy. That kind of team often starts with a great left tackle, and Joeckel is the one who checks all the boxes. Double the over on this pick if Mike Holmgren comes aboard -- Holmgren doesn't want any questions at that position.

It's a good year to have a lot of holes, with a lot of depth at several different positions. The Raiders can't go wrong with an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman (or a cornerback or a rush linebacker) at No. 3 overall.