After a successful 2014 draft and a very good crop of 2015 free agents, the Raiders are on the verge of finally turning things around.

The top three picks are going to be especially important for Oakland, as these selections have to result in starters. The rest of the picks will also be important, as the Raiders have to turn them into reliable depth at several positions.

All of the reports, rumors, interviews, pro days and film-watching comes down to this. With high picks in every round, the Raiders are in prime position to add several major pieces and finally get out of the NFL 's basement. The only thing left to do is actually make the picks.

For a 3-13 team that hasn't seen the postseason in more than a decade like the Oakland Raiders , rebuilding is the name of the game. The process started out successfully with an efficient free-agency period. The draft provides the last opportunity to add some desperately needed game-changing talent.

The Raiders have been directly linked to the following players who will be at the draft:

Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota and wide receiver Amari Cooper, all of whom are expected to be selected within the first 10 picks of the draft (Winston is expected to be selected first overall), will not be attending the draft.

*Projected to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round

As of April 14, just over two weeks before the draft, the NFL has confirmed the 26 players who will attend the draft, most of which are projected to be selected in the first round (in alphabetical order):

The draft has taken place in New York every year since 1965 and inside Radio City Music Hall since 2006. However, this year's draft will be held in Chicago inside the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Here's a look at the schedule for the three-day event:

Oakland is set up very nicely in every round and is in great position to select a good player each time in the draft.

It also means the Raiders will be in prime position to make a trade in every round. If the team wants to trade up to the end of a round, it won't be too big of a move. And if another team wants to trade up to grab a player they've fallen in love with before someone else does, Oakland will always be a prime trade target.

The Raiders also have a good spot in each round, picking either third or fourth in every round throughout the draft. This is a great position to be in as the Raiders will be in prime position to select one of the top prospects in each round.

For the first time since 2010 (although it seems like even longer), the Raiders are going to have a pick in each of the seven rounds.

Biggest Needs

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Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports These are Oakland's biggest needs throughout the roster:

Wide Receiver

Defensive End

Guard

Cornerback

Safety

Middle Linebacker

Here's a breakdown of the six positions the team must address in the draft and why.

Wide Receiver

Why a wide receiver?

Where to begin? Oakland's problems at wide receiver in 2014 have been well-documented. Not only did the team not have a receiver break 1,000 yards, there wasn't a pass-catcher on the roster that even broke 700 yards.

There are several solid receivers on the roster, but the absence of a true No. 1 receiver is blindingly clear. The addition of a true number one option would make Derek Carr better, the wide receiving corps better and the offense as a whole better.

What is the team looking for?

A true No. 1 receiver.

This isn't a matter of depth. The Raiders need to bring in someone who can take up major responsibility and start to produce big right away. This need, combined with the options available at the top of the draft, makes this a position the Raiders will certainly address in the first two rounds of the draft.

Defensive End

Why a defensive end?

The Raiders weren't great against the run in 2014, but they weren't terrible either. They allowed exactly four yards per attempt throughout the season, tying then for eighth-best in the league. Considering teams ran the ball against Oakland 481 times, which was fourth-most in the league, that's actually a pretty good performance.

But the pass rush was a different story. Oakland finished tied for second-worst with only 22 sacks. This mediocre performance had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the defense, and it's why guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill and Geno Smith looked like world-beaters when they played against Oakland. These three combined to go 60-of-78 (76.9 percent) for 638 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

What is the team looking for?

A pass-rusher.

Opposing quarterbacks had a ton of time to throw, and it made it easy to pick the secondary apart. Oakland has to add someone in the draft who can consistently get to the quarterback and disrupt the passing game. This hole made the entire defense worse. Filling this one need will make the entire defense better.

Guard

Why a guard?

Oakland has put together a very good offensive line, but there's still a big need at right guard. For now, Khalif Barnes is penciled in as the starter, but that's only by default. The Raiders have to start looking now for a permanent solution.

One of Oakland's biggest issues was the inability to consistently run up the middle and impose itself. The arrival of center Rodney Hudson will go a long way in helping this, and Gabe Jackson has the left guard position locked down. A solid right guard will allow the offensive line to bully teams up the middle.

What is the team looking for?

A road grader.

Obviously, pass protection is important, and this aspect can't be overlooked when adding a guard. But Oakland was embarrassingly bad on the ground in 2014, finishing dead-last with an average of 77.5 rushing yards per game. The problem began right up the middle, with running backs too often being met at or behind the line of scrimmage. A guard that can consistently get a push up the middle is a must.

Cornerback

Why a cornerback?

The Raiders face a unique circumstance at this position. The team is going with youth, but no one currently on the roster is a proven NFL performer. This means while the potential is certainly there, the team has to prepare for the possibility the current players won't work out.

Adding youth to youth doesn't sound like the best option, but it's what Oakland is facing heading into the draft. D.J. Hayden, T.J. Carrie and Keith McGill are all very intriguing cornerbacks. But until someone steps up and shows he can be relied upon, the team has to continue to look for permanent answers.

What is the team looking for?

Reliability with room to grow.

Given the other needs on the team, cornerback won't be addressed early. But whoever the Raiders add, he can't be a project. He has to have a proven role. Whether it's as a No. 1 cornerback or a slot corner, Oakland has to find someone who can be plugged in with confidence. The defense has to have someone at cornerback it doesn't have to worry about.

Safety

Why a safety?

Contrary to what recent seasons might suggest, Charles Woodson can't play forever. Even while playing at age 38 during the 2014 season, Woodson was one of Oakland's best defenders. But 2015 is likely to be his final season, and the Raiders don't currently have anyone lined up to take over.

There are some prospects currently on the roster, including 2014 seventh-round pick Jonathan Dowling and 27-year-old Larry Asante. However, the Raiders have already seen these players in practice and in games, and that wasn't enough to stop them from chasing safeties this offseason. The position is unsettled, and now is the time to address it, not next year when Woodson is already gone.

What is the team looking for?

Woodson's permanent replacement.

This is the ideal time to find the future at safety in Oakland. Woodson would be the perfect teacher. There's also no awkwardness given that everyone, including the future Hall of Famer, is well aware he's at the end of his career, so his replacement being brought in is no surprise. This is the perfect season to bring in a rookie and let him spend an entire year learning from Woodson in preparation for taking over permanently in 2016.

Middle Linebacker

Why a middle linebacker?

Oakland's linebacking corps was a major liability. Most of the criticism was aimed at Miles Burris, but his subpar play was a symptom of the real problem: lack of depth. Burris, a weak-side linebacker, was forced to move to the middle because there were no other middle linebackers on the roster. When Sio Moore went down, the Raiders had to once again scramble to find a replacement.

The team has solidified its starting group with the addition of middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, and Malcolm Smith adds depth. But the team is still one injury away from being in the same position it was in last season. Oakland doesn't need a starting linebacker. But the need for a viable backup is still there.

What is the team looking for?

A true middle linebacker.

The importance of this position can't be overlooked. The middle linebacker is in the middle of the defense. He calls the defensive plays and has to make sure everyone lines up correctly. Essentially, he's the quarterback of the defense, making it crucial the man playing the position knows how to run things. For this reason, the Raiders don't need someone who can come in and start. But they do need someone who's proven to be able to play the position.