Raiders find themselves in unusual draft position

ALAMEDA - What a disorienting feeling this must be for Reggie McKenzie.

Since Mark Davis hired McKenzie as his general manager in 2012, the Raiders have been in constant, and frequently desperate, need of talent. And that lack of ability translated to some lofty draft choices, like No. 5 in 2014 (a pick that became Khalil Mack) and No. 4 last year (hello, Amari Cooper).

Not to insinuate that the Raiders don’t need upgrades this year. They finished 7-9 in 2015 and have ample room for improvement. But for the first time in more than a decade, the team has a strong nucleus of young players to build around.

The downside, of course, is that Oakland isn’t scheduled to make a selection until pick No. 14, its lowest first-round slot since 2005.

“It’s a little different,” McKenzie said. “I prefer to be picking 32nd, but you know, the lower you pick, as far as down the line, it’s harder to figure out what the other teams are going to do. This is different than picking top five.”

Indeed, when the Raiders were sitting at No. 4 last year, they had a pretty good idea that quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota would go 1-2. The only question was whom the Jaguars would select at No. 3, so McKenzie knew his odds were good to wind up with Cooper (and no doubt had an alternative in mind if the wide receiver had been snapped up).

Picking 14th, the Raiders can’t begin to calculate which pieces might be moved ahead of them. All they can do is evaluate the available talent and wait. You know, like most NFL teams do in the first round.

“I have zero idea who will be there when,” McKenzie said. “So you can’t get too excited about a guy unless you’re picking first. I learned that a long time ago. I’ve seen players taken right before me, so it’s tough.”

The Raiders’ greatest needs right now would seem to be on the defensive side of the ball. Their edge rush looks mean, with Mack and free-agent signee Bruce Irvin penciled in as starters and Aldon Smith waiting in the wings for NFL reinstatement. Cornerback Sean Smith and safety Reggie Nelson were important acquisitions this offseason, too, but Oakland could use more help at each level of the defense, and especially at inside linebacker.

Neither McKenzie nor coach Jack Del Rio was willing to part with a shred of meaningful information Friday. They wouldn’t discuss players they’re excited about, or their overall philosophies of drafting talent, or even which positions stack up as the deepest in this draft. So let’s speculate.

Scanning various mock drafts and balancing Oakland’s needs with scouting reports, here are a few prospects to keep your eyes on.

Houston cornerback William Jackson III: Florida State’s Jaylen Ramsey is the best cornerback in this year’s draft. Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III might be second off the board. The consensus No. 3 (though some put him ahead of Hargreaves) is Jackson, a heady cover corner who played multiple coverages in college and shows ability to break on the ball quickly.

Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland: The Raiders have gap-stuffers up front and quarterback-hunters on the edge. What they’re truly lacking is a tackle machine at inside linebacker. Maybe Ragland could be that guy. He’s a big-time hitter who tends to attack the right.

Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins: Oakland is solid at the point of attack with veteran Dan Williams and young guy Justin “Jelly” Ellis. But they could get better with someone like Rankins, who understands leverage and displays elite quickness for a 287-pound human.

Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd: “You can never have enough guys to rush the quarterback,” McKenzie said Friday. That declaration might be put to the test if the Raiders have a crack at Floyd. He needs to put on weight, but is tall (6-foot-6, 244 pounds) and fast.

As McKenzie surveys the scene, one position he can virtually ignore is quarterback. Two teams, the Rams and Eagles, mortgaged large chunks of their futures in the past two weeks, almost assuredly to draft quarterbacks Jared Goff of Cal and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State.

The Raiders don’t have to resort to such desperate measures, because they believe they found their guy, Derek Carr, in the second round two years ago.

“It’s nice to know that we have a quarterback here,” McKenzie said. “We like our quarterback. Teams are different with their philosophy and what they want to do to get that guy. It’d still be hard for me to give up a lot of picks. Draft picks are invaluable, just invaluable.”

Two years ago at this time, McKenzie was on thin ice in Oakland. His drafts had produced more misses than hits, and his free-agent signings (think of quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Matt Schaub) were worse. But adding guys like Mack, Carr and Cooper in a two-year span can change a reputation. So can a free-agency period like this one, which includes the addition of guard Kelechi Osemele as well as Irvin, Smith and Nelson.

So the heat should be off of McKenzie, right? Not in the NFL.

“Honestly, I think there’s more pressure,” McKenzie said. “That’s my approach. I really do. You guys write about how good Khalil and Amari and Derek and all these guys are. How can that not put pressure on me? We have to continue to get really good players in here.”

That task resumes Thursday evening, on Day 1 of the NFL draft.