Oakland Raiders, NFL Mock Draft 2017: Predicting picks in rounds 1-7

The Oakland Raiders have eight picks in the NFL Draft, including No. 24 in the first round April 27 in Philadelphia.

Despite the approved relocation to Las Vegas, the Raiders will remain in Oakland for the foreseeable future, which will make for an unusual dynamic for a team that made huge strides in 2016.

They finally escaped from a playoff drought dating back to 2002, and things look bright with Derek Carr at quarterback and a receiver corps headlined by Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. The ground game will likely get a new look following the departure of Latavius Murray to Minnesota.

Still, most of the focus will be on a defense that needs a force in the middle at linebacker as well as better play from their cornerbacks.

Here is a look at the Raiders' five-year draft record with roster tallies reflecting totals as of the end of the 2016 season. Below that are key personnel moves made this year and the team's current needs heading into this draft and our projection for all their 2017 picks.

FIVE-YEAR DRAFT BREAKDOWN

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .2012 . .2013 . .2014 . .2015 . .2016

TOTAL PICKS . . . .6 . . . . .10 . . . . .8 . . . .10 . . . .7

STARTERS . . . . . .0 . . . . . .2 . . . . .4 . . . . .3 . . . .1

BACKUPS . . . . . .0 . . . . . .4 . . . . .2 . . . . .5 . . . .6

OTHER TEAMS . . .3 . . . . .2 . . . . .1 . . . . .1 . . . .0

OUT OF LEAGUE . .3 . . . . .2 . . . . .1 . . . . .1 . . .0

Top three draft needs

1. Running back: With Latavius Murray signing with Minnesota in free agency, the Raiders need a power back to go along with second-year players Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, both of whom had exciting first seasons as complementary players. Both are 5-foot-8 and not likely to be first-and-10 runners.

2. Inside linebacker: Malcolm Smith, who played inside and outside, signed with the 49ers, and Perry Riley Jr. remains unsigned. The Raiders had Zach Brown in for a visit (he signed with Washington) and would hope to find a player with enough agility and athleticism to avoid being a liability in coverage as well as having the ability to stop inside runs.

3. Cornerback: Rangy starters David Amerson and Sean Smith man the outside and are hoping for better seasons after being inconsistent in 2016. What the Raiders need, however, is a quick-footed corner, smaller, who can guard slot receivers and help with crossing routes and short patterns.

MOCK DRAFT

Below is a list of every pick for the Raiders in the 2017 NFL Draft, with players suggested by NFLDraftScout.com Sr. Analyst Dane Brugler. Who would you take? Let us know in comments.

Round and overall pick number listed, along with player, position, school, height, weight and 40-yard dash time.

1/24: Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida (6-1, 238, 4.61)

2/56: Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida (6-3, 307, 5.14)

3/88: Jonnu Smith, TE, Florida International (6-3, 248, 4.62)

4/130: Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma (6-0, 178, 4.38)

5/168: Marquez White, CB, Florida State (6-0, 194, 4.59)

6/208: Aaron Jones, RB, UTEP (5-10, 208, 4.49)

7/242: Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE, Miami (Fla.) (6-3, 253, 4.70)

7/244: Dieugot Joseph, OT, Florida International (6-5, 299, 5.21)

Now it's your turn. NFLDraftScout.com is ready to help with its list of the top 1,000 prospects in this draft.

--Howard Balzer and TSX NFL team insiders contributed to this analysis.