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Most people were impressed with what the Oakland Raiders did during the draft, but ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. took it a step forward and thinks they did so well that they will win the AFC West title this upcoming season.
The Raiders roster had a lot of turnover this offseason and Kiper thinks that is a really good thing for their success this season.
“Nine players, they drafted this year?” Mel Kiper Jr. asked via 24/7 Sports. “That's about 30 new players coming in. 20 to 21 in free agency. That's going to propel them to the AFC West title this year. The Raiders will be much improved…I think they will be 10-6.”
Todd McShay echoed some of the same thoughts as Kiper, although he wouldn't go as far as saying he thinks the Raiders will win the division.
“They are a better team than they were a week ago, ” McShay said on Golic and Wingo. “There is no question. Josh Jacobs is going to be their standout back, Johnathan Abram is a tone-setter and will become a defensive leader at the safety position coming out of Mississippi State. They got a corner, which they needed, in Trayvon Mullen, and another one, a developmental guy out of Houston in Isaiah Johnson, who is 6-3 1/2, long arms, and really only has a year and a half of cornerback experience as a former wide receiver.”
The one thing that Kiper might have overlooked is just how many wins it might take to get the AFC West title. Last year, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs both finished with 12-4 records with the Chiefs winning on tiebreakers.
If 10-6 is enough to win the AFC West in 2019, that means that the Chargers and the Chiefs would both be taking a big step back.
