With the 14th pick in the Pride Of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Oakland Raiders select defensive end Kevin Dodd. Go_Beluga_whales is the acting general manager for the Raiders. Below is the rationale for the pick:
Defense wins championships and the Raiders' top four needs are at safety, linebacker, cornerback, and edge rusher. With the top two corners gone, lack of safety first-round talent and Reggie Ragland coming off the board at No. 13, I felt the need to help our pass rush with the best talent available. The Raiders had a total of 5 sacks from their starting DE's (Edwards and Autry) last year. Enter Kevin Dodd from Clemson.
Dodd refuses to give offensive lineman a break. Every down is fourth-and-goal for Dodd and that's the mentality the Raiders need along the defensive line. Dodd only has one year of starting experience but he started playing at his best towards the end of the year. He had a massive spike in production from 3 QB hurries to 46 in his one year as a starter. In the National Championship game against Alabama he had five tackles for a loss, including three sacks. He also ended the year on a streak of five games with a sack. He is equipped with the tools and, more importantly to me, the mentality to make a difference for the Raiders.
Our very own Alex Reno said that Dodd is the most instinctual edge rusher and the best strong side DE in the draft. I also considered taking Taylor Decker to help shore up their offensive line, Mackenzie Alexander, and Darron Lee. However, Kevin Dodd's ability to make plays while being paired up with Khalil Mack was too great to pass up.
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Check out our 2016 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.