Ranking Raiders remaining needs: From right tackle to center

These are the top areas Las Vegas has to address before the 2021 season opens

While the Las Vegas Raiders have added several pieces in free agency, there are still some need areas for the team as we prepare for the NFL draft.

Obviously, some needs are bigger than others. Here is the order of the holes that I believe Las Vegas have to address in the remaining portion of free agency and in the NFL draft, which runs April 29-May 1.

Right tackle:
With Trent Brown traded to the New England Patriots, the Raiders have a big deficit here. Brandon Parker is currently the starter and that isn’t good enough. The Raiders will likely try to find their next right tackle early in the draft as they did in 2018 when they moved up to take Parker with the first pick of the third round.

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Free safety:
It’s surprising the Raiders bypassed (so far) a strong class of free agent players at this spot. They badly need someone to pair with Johnathan Abram in the back of the defense. This is a go-to spot early in the draft whether they sign a vet or not, at this point.

Veteran cornerback:
Richard Sherman and Casey Hayward are out there and they’d both fill the role. The Raiders have to get some veteran leadership and stability in the secondary, especially since it seems they may go with a rookie at free safety.

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Linebacker depth:
This will probably be a bigger need area in 2022, so the Raiders might want to add a young piece fairly early in the draft to develop without pressure.

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Guard:
As the Raiders move away from the Gabe Jackson era (I know they have Denzelle Good, Richie Incognito and second-year player John Simpson), I feel like they need more at guard, perhaps in the form of some veteran insurance. Incognito missed 14 games last season and he will be 38 this summer. This unit needs a little more help.

Center:
In the post-Rodney Hudson era, the Raiders feel good about Andre James. They gave him a contract extension even though he’s played one game at the spot. Plus, they signed veteran Nick Martin. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to draft a young center they feel like they can develop.