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Raiders probably need to address linebacker in the draft

JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 29: Jarrad Davis #40 of the Florida Gators before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field on October 29, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

  • With Malcolm Smith leaving via free agency and Perry Riley not being re-signed, the Raiders will need two new starters at LB in 2017. Their current options on the roster include Ben Heeney, Cory James, and the recently signed Jelani Jenkins.
  • After Foster, the top linebackers on the PFF board are Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham and Florida's Jarrad Davis. Cunningham was ranked fourth in run-stop percentage, recording a stop on 14.7 percent of his run-play snaps. Davis recorded 8 total pressures in 31 pass-rush snaps.
  • Beyond the first round, PFF's other top LBs onclude Raekwon McMillan from Ohio State and Blair Brown from Ohio. Brown is an interesting undersized small-school prospect who was first in PFF's tackling efficiency rank and third in run-stop percentage.

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Fantasy Slant: Those in IDP circles will want to keep a close eye on what the Raiders do at linebacker in the draft. Someone like Cunningham or Davis could step right in and make an immediate fantasy impact with the potential to put up top-20 numbers at the position.

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