Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn St defensive back Kevin Winston Jr (DB54) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

NFL Mock Draft: Raiders Take a Chance on a DB in Third Round

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are lacking cornerback depth ahead of next season. In free agency, a lot of notable defensive backs left their team such as Nate Hobbs or Jack Jones, and while they've signed a lot of free agents to make up for it, they still don't have a player that they could hail as a cornerstone piece of their defense in the secondary.

Players like Jeremy Chinn from the Washington Commanders will bring a different attitude to their backfield, and they extended the contract of Isiah Pola-Mao to give him a chance to be one of their players for the long term.

If the Raiders are looking to possibly make a playoff push next season, they'll do as much as they can in the draft to select players who fill positions of need, and there are a lot of positions on their roster that need some youth for them to look forward to their development.

Chris Trapasso recently released a seven-round mock draft where he attempts to predict what each NFL team's rookie class will look like next season. For the Raiders, he predicts they'll take a chance on Kevin Winston Jr. from Pennsylvania State University.

Winston Jr. suffered an ACL injury early in the 2024 season which kept him from playing his junior year with the Penn State Nittany Lions, but he showcased how effective he can be in his sophomore season.

In 2023, he had 60 total tackles and defended against five passes, as well as his lone interception throughout his three years in college. While he didn't participate in every drill in the NFL combine, the ones he did participate in he tested very highly.

His height along with his weight combine for a grounded defensive back with the ability to break up passing plays with his long arms. He also has good agility, running the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds, which will make him good to have over the middle of the field or on his own against opposing receivers.

He's coming off an injury so it may be risky to draft him because there's always a chance he reaggravates it, and a severe ACL injury may end a player's career. If they don't even want to risk it, another defensive back they can target in the third round is Bilhal Kone.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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