PODCAST: Las Vegas Raiders Insider Mock Draft 4.0

The Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast brings you a fourth edition of the mock draft.

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs past Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Kobe King (41) during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 31, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In this edition of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast, our Hondo Carpenter reveals his Mock Draft 4.0 with a new pick in the first round.

Q: You talked about that opportunity playing special teams and kind of get involved in that role.  What was the biggest thing that you learned, just in terms of how vital it could be to the team throughout that, and kind of what lessons did you learn through that stint that you could bring here? 

Johnson Jr.: "Playing special teams can be an energy spark for like any team. So if I go out there the first play, get a big hit - I call it a boom hit, like if the crowd give one of them 'Oohs' out of the crowd - if you ever heard that, I probably hit somebody out there. But once you do that, you can spark the energy to the defense. They come out there, get a three-and-out, now we got momentum rolling. 

"We got momentum rolling. So, that's the key part about special teams, I would say. You never know. You could change the game, too with a turnover and just excelling at it. So, I had to learn in my career to adjust to that because I was so used to playing in Houston on defense, and then I noticed if I wanted to stay in the league, you've got to have some type of adjustment to the game, and that was special teams for me, and I'm thankful for that."

Q: When you look at yourself and Elandon Roberts and Jeremy Chinn, one thing that's for sure is you guys hit. You're not afraid to be physical. How important do you guys feel that is to bring that to this defense? 

Johnson Jr.: "Man, because you've got guys like Maxx Crosby out there, man, like you don't want to disappoint Maxx, like, honestly, man, he gives 100% effort every single play. So, if you bring in guys like me, [Jeremy] Chinn and other guys that have that type of motor and energy, then other players are going to feed off of that. And other players, even the offensive players, offensive players are going to feed off of that, and they're going to be like, 'Man, y'all see how them guys rolling? We've got to roll like that too.' And then that's just how you elevate your team, and the competition out of your team just comes out that way, and you can win games that way." 

Q: Pete Carroll is kind of known for his work with defensive backs throughout his career. How excited are you to learn from him? 

Johnson Jr.: "Man, the call I got from Pete [Carroll] was amazing, man. He's known for working with bigger DBs, too. You've got Kam Chancellor, you've got Richard Sherman, guys like that, the LOB [Legion of Boom] back in the day. So it's like, he's known for working with guys with my physical attributes, my physical traits, [Jeremy] Chinn's physical traits, guys like us. So, we're excited to see what can he do to develop us and help us become better players. Obviously, he's a gold jacket coach in waiting like I tell everybody, but what can he do to develop us and put us in the right place."

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