The Oakland Raiders put in another strong draft in 2015 and now head coach Jack Del Rio hopes that Mario Edwards can form a consistent pass rushing duo with Khalil Mack and this comes as Amari Cooper should help the offense, including helping open up the rushing game for Derek Carr with his presence on the outside with Trent Richardson and Latavius Murray as the main running backs.
The Raiders are hoping for some improvement in 2015 after finishing in the bottom of the AFC West and the team is expecting Carr to continue his development. Carr had a solid rookie season and now the team adds Amari Cooper and Clive Walford in the draft on offense. Carr needed more weapons and now he has Cooper and Michael Crabtree at receiver and the team also brought in Trent Richardson at running back with Roy Helu.
According to Bill Williamson at ESPN.com, Richardson should be challenging for the starting job this season along with Latavius Murray. Last season Murray showed some flashes of being a feature running back, but it's more likely that Richardson will be the lead back. Richardson had a couple tough seasons in Indianapolis, but he should be in a better situation in Oakland. According to ESPN.com, the team signed Michael Dyer to a deal and there is a chance he could make the roster as a backup option for depth.
Edwards comes in after a standout career at Florida State and general manager Reggie McKenzie said that he projects Edwards as a top pass rusher in the NFL. Edwards started 26 games for the Seminoles and had eight sacks and he could be a strong fit alongside Khalil Mack for Del Rio on defense. Mack comes into the season after being third in the rookie of the year voting and he had four sacks and 75 total tackles and now he is expected to have another good season.
Cooper had a big season last year for Alabama and he was the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft by the Raiders. Cooper immediately is the best receiver on the roster and he should be penciled in at the top of the depth chart. Williamson writes that Cooper along with, should be the starting wide receivers for Carr this season. Michael Crabtree has the chance to contribute and both Andre Holmes and Rod Streater also should be solid depth options.
The tight end position could end up being productive for the Raiders this year, as they have added Clive Walford in the draft and they already have a promising tight end in Mychal Rivera. Williamson writes that Rivers should start the season on top of the depth chart, but that Walford should get playing time as well. Walford was productive with Miami and he should be a strong backup for Rivera, who had his best season in 2014. Last year Rivera had 58 catches for 534 yards and four touchdowns and he should be a safety net for Carr this year.
