2021 NFL Draft: Alabama sets first-round pick record in 2-round mock draft

2021 NFL Draft: Round 1, 17th overall

The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2020. The team placed 30th in points per game giving up an average of 29.9 points. Part of the reason they struggled so much was their inability to get to the quarterback as they only recorded 1.3 sacks a game which ranked 30th in the league. The weakest position on the Raiders last year when it came to getting pressure on the quarterback, was defensive tackle which only recorded 3.5 sacks on the year.

Due to this lack of interior pass rush, I could see the Las Vegas Raiders drafting Alabama’s Christian Barmore with the 17th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Barmore was one of the best pass rushers in the SEC last season when he recorded eight sacks on the year. What is even more impressive though is he is just scratching the surface as a pass rusher and has the potential to be even more dominant in this area if he learns how to use his hands better and plays with better pad level.

Barmore will also help the Raiders run defense which needs all the help it can get as they ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. In this area of the game, Barmore’s enormous size of 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds allows him to eat up blockers and space. He also has the strength to go along with this size and is very hard to move out of the way. One other positive for him as a run defender is his quickness which allows him to make his share of plays behind the line of scrimmage.