Draft: Comparing 2nd-round cornerbacks and offensive tackles, which position should Raiders prioritize?

Diving into the depth at both positions to see if Las Vegas might be better off going with a corner or offensive lineman in the first-round.

How deep each position group is in the NFL Draft can impact how teams go about making their picks. When deciding between two players, it would make more sense to prioritize the guy who plays the position that has less depth in the class as there won’t be as many quality options later on. For the Las Vegas Raiders, that situation could arise when it comes to cornerback and offensive tackle.

Of course, quarterback will be on the table as well, but the Raiders could be looking at spending the 13th overall pick at the two positions listed above. So, let’s dive into the team’s second-round options at those spots to determine which one Las Vegas should prioritize on Thursday night.

To give some wiggle room, we’ll take a look at the prospects ranked within the top 25 to 65 players on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.

Cornerback

• Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri (Ranks 38th)
• Kamari Lassiter, Georgia (Ranks 40th)
• Mike Sainristil, Michigan (Ranks 50th)
• T.J. Tampa, Iowa State (Ranks 55th)
• Max Melton, Rutgers (Ranks 56th)

Of the five players listed above, Sainristil and Melton fit the profile of what Tom Telesco seems to look for in cornerback prospects; good RAS/athletic testing numbers and good ball skills. The problem with Sainristil though is he was primarily a slot corner in college and the Raiders need someone on the outside. Meanwhile, Melton has plenty of experience out wide and could be an under-the-radar type of target for the Silver and Black.

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Personally, Rakestraw is a little overrated in this class. I lost some interest in him after he ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at 183 pounds, which is a bad combination. Also, the Missouri product has a fourth-round grade and ranks 97th on Bleacher Report’s big board.

A similar statement could be said about Lassiter after he was clocked at 4.64 and weighed in at 186 pounds. Tampa is also on the smaller and slower side — 4.58 and 189 pounds — but he did have solid ball production this past season with six PBUs and two interceptions, per Pro Football Focus. Also, he has good arm length at 32 1/8 inches and put up decent numbers in the agility tests, which could make it easier for Telesco to overlook the former Cyclone’s 40-time.

Offensive Tackles

• Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma (Ranks 30th)
• Jordan Morgan, Arizona (Ranks 36th)
• Kingsley Suamataia, BYU (Ranks 43rd)
• Patrick Paul, Houston (Ranks 65th)

Of the players listed above, Guyton would be the crown jewel for the Raiders. He lined up at right tackle for Oklahoma over the last two seasons, has great size at nearly 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds and tested really well with a 9.73 RAS. The problem is he’s probably closer to being a first-rounder than he is to being available with the 44th pick.

Morgan is an interesting option for Las Vegas, especially since Telesco hasn’t let arm length deter him from drafting a tackle in the past. The big issue is all of the former Wildcat’s experience is at left tackle, and the same goes for Paul. That’s where Suamataia might be more attractive since he held down the right edge two years ago at BYU.

Conclusion

While more cornerbacks are currently projected as second-round picks, the Raiders would probably have more options that fit what they need at right tackle in round two. The majority of the corners listed above either don’t fit Telesco’s profile or what the team needs, or might be a little overrated.

Meanwhile, Suamataia would be a great option with the 44th pick. Also, while Morgan and Paul don’t have experience on the right edge, both are high-level athletes to suggest they could seamlessly make the position switch.