The Oakland Raiders are a team in turmoil. They lack top-tier talent at nearly every position on their roster. However, the head coach signing of Jack Del Rio, who spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, seems to indicate that they plan on shoring up their defense through the draft, and there is no better player to build around than defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

The Raiders finished the 2014 NFL season tied for second-to-last in sacks with 22 and tied for third-worst in rushing touchdowns allowed with 17. With rumors of Mike Smith, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach who has a long history with Del Rio, coming onboard to run Oakland’s defense, the Raiders will look to add a playmaker to their defensive line as Smith prefers to run a 4-3 defense as opposed to the 3-4 defense run by the Raiders last season.

Williams lines up inside and outside for the USC Trojans and has the versatility with his 6-foot-5, 298 pound frame to play anywhere on the defensive line. The Raiders only notched eight sacks from their three starting lineman last season and Williams would help put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as he racked up 20 sacks over his three-year career as a Trojan.

In addition to his pass rushing prowess, Williams is also adept at stuffing the run, accumulating 35.5 tackles for loss over three seasons for the Trojans despite facing double-teams on a consistent basis. In a division that features elite running backs like Jamaal Charles and C.J. Anderson, adding a talent like Williams to disrupt the run game is of paramount importance for the Raiders.

While no one can question Williams’ toughness after playing through a torn labrum in 2013 and an ankle injury in 2014, he did have offseason shoulder surgery following the 2013 season, and that could scare off some teams from using a high pick on him in the draft.

However, in the end, the raw talent that Williams possesses will be too much for the Raiders to pass on with the fourth pick in the draft. If Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston are the first two picks off the board and the Jacksonville Jaguars pass on Williams, the Raiders would be foolish not to scoop up Williams and build their defense around the talented prospect. Then again, this is the Raiders we are talking about, so anything is possible.

Phillip Jacques is a Pac-12 Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google