2017 NFL Mock Draft: Oakland Raiders select Gareon Conley

With the 24th pick in the 2017 Canal Street Chronicles community NFL Mock Draft, the Oakland Raiders select....

Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State (6-feet, 195-pounds)

Following a stellar 12-win season, the Oakland Raiders suffered a most devastating loss when QB Derek Carr broke his fibula on Christmas Eve. The Oakland (perhaps soonish to be Las Vegas) Raiders are a young, talented team with a promising franchise QB on the mend. Despite boasting the NFL’s 6th-ranked offense in total yards per game (373.3) in 2016, the Raiders burgeoning defense, led by none other than throwback-extraordinaire All-Pro DE/OLB Khalil Mack, requires some more pieces to move up from their 26th-ranked defense in yards allowed per game (375.1).

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders would immediately improve in their secondary adding lengthy (33” arms), speedy (4.4 40) Ohio State standout CB Gareon Conley to play opposite Sean Smith. Though not quite as heralded as his former Buckeye teammate Marshon Lattimore, Conley, who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares to Denver Broncos All-Pro CB Aqib Talib, is a savvy, fluid corner with great ball skills and impeccable timing to disrupt passes.

What Conley’s lacking in physicality (and which his Raiders teammates would ideally instill in him), he makes up for with his physical assets and athleticism. Battle Red Blog’s Brett Kollmann did a great break down of Conley recently which I highly recommend checking out. Conley’s got the talent to be a high quality corner in the NFL and he’s a value and fit pick for the Raiders at #24.

Community Mock Draft Results

1. Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett, DE, TAMU
2. San Francisco 49ers - Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
3. Chicago Bears - Jamal Adams, S, LSU
4. Jacksonville Jaguars - O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
5. Tennessee Titans - Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
6. New York Jets - Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
7. Los Angeles Chargers - Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
8. Carolina Panthers - Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
9. Cincinnati Bengals - Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
10. Buffalo Bills - Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
11. New Orleans Saints - Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
12. Cleveland Browns - Mitch Trubisky, QB, UNC
13. Arizona Cardinals - Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
14. Philadelphia Eagles (via Minnesota) - Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
15. Indianapolis Colts - Ryan Ramcyzk, OT, Wisconsin
16. Baltimore Ravens - Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
17. Washington Redskins - Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
18. Tennessee Titans (via LA Rams) - John Ross, WR, Washington
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
20. Denver Broncos - David Njoku, TE, Miami
21. Detroit Lions - Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
22. Miami Dolphins - Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
23. New York Giants - Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
24. Oakland Raiders - Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State

The Houston Texans are on the clock!