After taking Ashton Jeanty in round one of the draft, the Raiders will pivot on Friday to their second-round pick and there are some intriguing players still on the board going into day 2 of the draft.
All eyes are on Shedeur Sanders going into Friday night, and if the Raiders want the Colorado quarterback with the 37th pick, they will need the Cleveland Browns to pass on Shedeur twice.
Considering the quarterback situation in Cleveland, it’s hard to imagine the Browns aren’t leaning towards taking a quarterback with one of their two second round picks.
But whether ESPN draft hosts want to acknowledge it or not, Sanders comes with concerns at the NFL level and Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough could be players the Browns are more comfortable taking in the second round.
If the Browns don’t take Shedeur at pick 33 or 36, it will be interesting to see what the Raiders do with pick 37.
Tom Brady has a relationship with the Sanders family and that could be a factor in what the Raiders decide to do if Sanders is on the board when Vegas is on the clock. Shedeur might be a fit in Las Vegas, but with Geno Smith in the building, there are more immediate needs on the roster than quarterback.
If Brady and company don’t take a quarterback in the second round, a position of need in Vegas is cornerback, and Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter believes there are two corners to watch for the Raiders in the second round.
“I think at 37, the Raiders are probably going to take Will Johnson, the cornerback at Michigan,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “Now, I think they would like to trade back. I have firm believer they would like to trade back. But if they can’t, then I think they take Will Johnson, the corner out of Michigan, which is a first round grade. Absolute steal.”
If the Raiders have reservations about Johnson’s speed or injury history, Carpenter offered another cornerback to watch at pick 37.
“I know the Raiders really, really like [Trey Amos],” Carpenter continued. “Depending on how concerned they are about Will Johnson, I could see them taking [Amos]. Several teams had a first round grade on him and this guy was universally a first round rated guy. Trey Amos, the corner out of Ole Miss. I like him a ton. To me, if the Raiders chose to take him over Will Johnson, I have no issue with it… Keep an eye on him. Just trust me on that one.”
Round 2 of the draft kicks off at 7 PM ET on Friday.
x: @raidersbeat
Milroe at 37