A closer look at the positions the Oakland Raiders could target at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Positions of need: Raiders coach Jack Del Rio could not have been any clearer than he was the day after the season ended, saying Oakland needed to address its lack of an interior pass rush this offseason. Indeed, only three of the Raiders' league-low 25 sacks came from the inside -- 2½ by Stacy McGee, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after his hot start was derailed by injury, and half a sack from Dan Williams. Plus, not a single sack came from inside linebackers Perry Riley Jr., Cory James or Ben Heeney. So while identifying a pass-rushing menace nose or defensive tackle or a thumping middle linebacker who can also get to the passer would seem to be the goal, so, too, would be locating a lockdown cornerback. But keep this in mind: The Raiders, who flash both 4-3 and 3-4 base defenses, don't have their first selection until No. 24. The pickings could be somewhat slim.

Five players the Raiders could focus on at the combine:

Malik McDowell (defensive tackle), Michigan State: The Raiders are more than familiar with Spartans, having drafted Shilique Calhoun and Connor Cook out of East Lansing last spring. They both would seemingly vouch for McDowell, who is more of big-bodied run-stuffer than sack machine as his 1½ sacks last season after 4½ the season prior attest. But that's OK, as his body as a 6-foot-6, 276-pounder portends well for collapsing the pocket. And if Aldon Smith gets reinstated to join Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin, McDowell wreaking havoc down low would be just as good as racking up sacks. ESPN draft insider Mel Kiper Jr. selected McDowell for Oakland in his mock draft 1.0.

Elijah Qualls (defensive tackle), Washington: At 6-1, 320 pounds, Qualls could conceivably play the nose or 3-technique. With five of his tackles last season during the Pac-12 champion Huskies being for a loss -- to go with the three sacks -- Qualls would bring the kind of disruption the Raiders need inside. Critics say he needs to lose weight to be more effective, and while that may be true, he is a natural athlete who was a standout fullback in high school. He has shifty feet to go with his low center of gravity and strength.

Reuben Foster (inside linebacker), Alabama: A pipe dream for a player who figures to be long gone before the Raiders' turn at No. 24? Sure, but a team can dream, even if the last Butkus Award winning Alabama linebacker they drafted turned out to be a nightmare in Rolando McClain. Maybe the Raiders jump up in the draft to make a move on Foster, who would seemingly address the need for a thumping middle linebacker (6-1, 228 pounds) who can fly to the ball and, yes, get to the quarterback. He had five sacks last season and 13 tackles for a loss.

Zach Cunningham (inside linebacker), Vanderbilt: A late bloomer, so to speak, who is a fast riser on many mock draft boards with his size (6-4, 230 pounds) and coverage ability. And yes, the Raiders may need their inside linebackers to be more adept at covering tight ends underneath than blitzing. Still, Cunningham did have 16½ tackles for a loss last season, without a single sack, and he had six sacks the previous two seasons. He's more a playmaker than a pass-rusher and at No. 24 in the first round, the Raiders could be intrigued.

Quincy Wilson (cornerback), Florida: The Raiders already have an “in” on Wilson in that Del Rio's son Luke was a Gators quarterback and went against him in practice. Beyond that, Wilson is a bigger cornerback at 6-1, 213 pounds and his coverage downfield helps the pass rush. Oakland could do worse than Wilson, who had three interceptions and allowed fewer than 40 percent of passes thrown against him to be completed. Kiper took Wilson for Oakland in his mock draft 2.0.