Everyone who is anyone it putting out the typical kind of post about how to view prospects or positions coming into this draft. I mean, why not? Stuff gets eaten up the way I just destroyed that bowl of pho with plenty of fresh jalapeno and a side of Kona Brewery Longboard Lager. I am starting the VEGAS series for breaking down each position for this upcoming draft. VEGAS really works in two ways. For one, its really timely and on the nose regarding the Raiders and should be an SEO dream. Secondly, it is an acronym for Value, Enigma, GIF, Anderson, and Stud. This post will have 5 categories. The Value Guy, The Enigma Guy, The GIF Guy, The Anderson Guy, and The Stud Guy. I may even throw in a bonus guy. I will define what each of these titles means when I get to it, but for now, I will start with a primer about the 2017 inside linebacker class.
This draft in particular is very defense heavy and is one of the better inside linebacker classes in recent memory. It has anything you could want really, which is reassuring for Raiders' fans. There is a very good chance that the top dog in this draft class will not be on the board when the Raiders pick. However, once that happens, there is a solid prospect in every round for Reggie McKenzie to choose from. What we are really seeing is the overall death of the traditional inside linebacker, and the focus for college defenses on guys who can drop back in zone and tackle in space. There are not many guys who can take on an NFL guard, then stack and shed, and if they do exist they tend to be limited.
The Raiders like many teams have built a defense that is centered upon a need for the defensive line to either occupy blocks, or destroy gaps in order to ensure their linebackers are clean as much as possible. Many Raider fans saw the struggles this defense had at times and blamed the linebacker corps. I did not. It is clear that Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio are looking to add athleticism and coverage ability to the inside linebacking group, not gap filling big bodied tacklers. Where the Raiders failed in my eyes, was in the lack of consistency up front creating opportunities for the linebackers to win one on ones.
There is also a contingent of Raider fans who blame the tight end yards on the linebackers, Most games, Malcolm Smith did a quality job covering the tight end, he simply did not make every play. It is not however as if he completely forgot his responsibility. Now, that does not account for the troubles this defense had against the boot offense, but anyone who has read my work knows how much that offense if absurdly fantastic in making any defense look stupid.
What I believe the Raiders need is to continue to add the same types of players they have been. The slightly undersized inside linebackers are just fine in my book and having speed in the middle of the field is very helpful. On the other hand, I believe Raider fans are putting way too much emphasis on the position and it is not the main problem this defense has moving forward. The defense in Oakland is built on the backs of 4-3 will linebackers playing inside. This draft has tons of them.
THE VALUE GUY
Jarrad Davis, Florida
This draft in particular is very defense heavy and is one of the better inside linebacker classes in recent memory. It has anything you could want really, which is reassuring for Raiders' fans. There is a very good chance that the top dog in this draft class will not be on the board when the Raiders pick. However, once that happens, there is a solid prospect in every round for Reggie McKenzie to choose from. What we are really seeing is the overall death of the traditional inside linebacker, and the focus for college defenses on guys who can drop back in zone and tackle in space. There are not many guys who can take on an NFL guard, then stack and shed, and if they do exist they tend to be limited.
The Raiders like many teams have built a defense that is centered upon a need for the defensive line to either occupy blocks, or destroy gaps in order to ensure their linebackers are clean as much as possible. Many Raider fans saw the struggles this defense had at times and blamed the linebacker corps. I did not. It is clear that Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio are looking to add athleticism and coverage ability to the inside linebacking group, not gap filling big bodied tacklers. Where the Raiders failed in my eyes, was in the lack of consistency up front creating opportunities for the linebackers to win one on ones.
There is also a contingent of Raider fans who blame the tight end yards on the linebackers, Most games, Malcolm Smith did a quality job covering the tight end, he simply did not make every play. It is not however as if he completely forgot his responsibility. Now, that does not account for the troubles this defense had against the boot offense, but anyone who has read my work knows how much that offense if absurdly fantastic in making any defense look stupid.
What I believe the Raiders need is to continue to add the same types of players they have been. The slightly undersized inside linebackers are just fine in my book and having speed in the middle of the field is very helpful. On the other hand, I believe Raider fans are putting way too much emphasis on the position and it is not the main problem this defense has moving forward. The defense in Oakland is built on the backs of 4-3 will linebackers playing inside. This draft has tons of them.
THE VALUE GUY
Jarrad Davis, Florida
I have struggled really deciding on whether or not I like Jarrad Davis or not. It took me a while to realize, that because nothing of his jumps off the screen to me, he is simply and all around talent. Davis has tape where he tackles well in space, shows quality drop backs in zone, and can be a successful blitzer. Everything a Raiders linebacker would need to do. He simply does not do any of it in a way that is overly impressive. Many people are talking about Davis in round one, unless it is the last quarter of round one, I would say it is too rich for my blood. Even then, Davis becomes a value in round two really.
You may be thinking that I am stretching the definition of value in this case. The reason why Davis is an incredible value even if he is taken a little early, is the character he brings your organization. Or in the case of the Raiders, he brings a certain maturity that allow him to step right in and feel at home. The problems with Davis focus around injuries. He has been dinged a few times, but he was a significant contributor as a freshman and has been starting for over two seasons. He fits many of the traits that Bill Parcells sought in his parameters for draft picks.
When I graded Davis, I ended up giving him a round two grade. It is his unmeasurables and the way that coaches and scouts rave about his character that makes me believe he is the ultimate high floor low ceiling guy. If his football IQ matches his character, he can be a very good player, but probably not elite.
THE ENIGMA GUY
Haasan Riddick,Temple
You may be thinking that I am stretching the definition of value in this case. The reason why Davis is an incredible value even if he is taken a little early, is the character he brings your organization. Or in the case of the Raiders, he brings a certain maturity that allow him to step right in and feel at home. The problems with Davis focus around injuries. He has been dinged a few times, but he was a significant contributor as a freshman and has been starting for over two seasons. He fits many of the traits that Bill Parcells sought in his parameters for draft picks.
When I graded Davis, I ended up giving him a round two grade. It is his unmeasurables and the way that coaches and scouts rave about his character that makes me believe he is the ultimate high floor low ceiling guy. If his football IQ matches his character, he can be a very good player, but probably not elite.
THE ENIGMA GUY
Haasan Riddick,Temple
Every year there is a guy that Mike Mayock throws out of left field and stirs up all sorts of fun reactions. Haason Reddick is one of those and after his Senior Bowl performance, scouts and insiders began the Reddick buzz. At the Senior Bowl Reddick played some inside linebacker and showed some chops for it.
The Reason he is my enigma, is because he did not play inside at Temple he was primarily an outside rusher who ended last season with over ten sacks. As a player who was a walk on and starting before he received a scholarship, Reddick is no stranger to having to prove himself. That is precisely what he will have to do because in drafting him, the Raiders will be relying purely on projection for their valuation. Luckily or not for the Raiders, they have a linebacker who has done a bit of this transition already. Bruce Irving was almost exclusively and outside linebacker/edge prospect at West Virginia and they taught him how to be a solid 4-3 will linebacker.
By saying Haason Reddick is an enigma, I am not making a claim that he will be a bust. I am simply saying that "I don't know" and there will be a heavy reliance on coaching when you get this guy in your building to make him into a solid inside linebacker. Reddick really should be a third round pick, but I have heard some talk about him as high as the late first round. Enigma doesn't necessarily mean value either.
THE GIF GUY
Zach Cunningham, Vandy
The Reason he is my enigma, is because he did not play inside at Temple he was primarily an outside rusher who ended last season with over ten sacks. As a player who was a walk on and starting before he received a scholarship, Reddick is no stranger to having to prove himself. That is precisely what he will have to do because in drafting him, the Raiders will be relying purely on projection for their valuation. Luckily or not for the Raiders, they have a linebacker who has done a bit of this transition already. Bruce Irving was almost exclusively and outside linebacker/edge prospect at West Virginia and they taught him how to be a solid 4-3 will linebacker.
By saying Haason Reddick is an enigma, I am not making a claim that he will be a bust. I am simply saying that "I don't know" and there will be a heavy reliance on coaching when you get this guy in your building to make him into a solid inside linebacker. Reddick really should be a third round pick, but I have heard some talk about him as high as the late first round. Enigma doesn't necessarily mean value either.
THE GIF GUY
Zach Cunningham, Vandy
In season past I have talked about the rise of GIF scouting. It drives me crazy. You take a few GIFs of a guy and they go flying all over Twitter and hype starts on a guy. The problem is, there is way more to the story and the GIF hype is likely only detrimental to the prospect. Now, strictly referring to Zach Cunningham, Pro Football Focus also calls him one of the top prospects you have not heard of, but all my readers should be well aware of my thoughts on PFF.
Zach Cunningham is not a bad prospect, he is simply overhyped. If we are being honest, Cunningham is similar to Aaron Curry because he is an athletic freak, but actually does not convert much of that athleticism into quality tape. On the flip side, when he does convert his athleticism into quality tape, he does it with style. Similar to Buzz Lightyear's falling.
There may not be a better first step to the line of scrimmage in this class. Cunningham is exceptionally quick and exceptionally athletic downhill. He has also shown lateral quickness. What he lacks is solid coverage technique and he needs to bulk up. If he does not bulk up he needs to learn to play behind his pads and use some of his muscles. The problem with him being long and lean (standing at 6'4), is he can allow his pads to stay high when taking on blocks, and he does not play with leverage. Add that to the fact that he has issues tackling in space, and I think he should be a 4-3 will. There is a good chance he goes in round one in the draft, I just hope it isn't to the Raiders. Maybe round two would be acceptable to me.
THE ANDERSON GUY
Duke Riley, LSU
Zach Cunningham is not a bad prospect, he is simply overhyped. If we are being honest, Cunningham is similar to Aaron Curry because he is an athletic freak, but actually does not convert much of that athleticism into quality tape. On the flip side, when he does convert his athleticism into quality tape, he does it with style. Similar to Buzz Lightyear's falling.
There may not be a better first step to the line of scrimmage in this class. Cunningham is exceptionally quick and exceptionally athletic downhill. He has also shown lateral quickness. What he lacks is solid coverage technique and he needs to bulk up. If he does not bulk up he needs to learn to play behind his pads and use some of his muscles. The problem with him being long and lean (standing at 6'4), is he can allow his pads to stay high when taking on blocks, and he does not play with leverage. Add that to the fact that he has issues tackling in space, and I think he should be a 4-3 will. There is a good chance he goes in round one in the draft, I just hope it isn't to the Raiders. Maybe round two would be acceptable to me.
THE ANDERSON GUY
Duke Riley, LSU
Well what did you think Anderson stood for? You did not honestly think I would pass up an opportunity for shameless self promotion did you? Killing me Smalls.
Those who are seasoned veterans to my Twitter feed know that I am the official leader of the Duke Riley to the Raiders bandwagon. If you are not a seasoned vet of Twitter feed, change that. Now. It is @holistic_pickle, write that down. Do not include the comma, I am following proper grammar.
If the Raiders drafted Duke Riley in the third round I might cry. If they drafted him in round two, I will not like the value, but love the prospect. Riley is a quality coverage linebacker, he can tackle in the open field, and played within a pro style defense at LSU. We use the term "pro style offense" frequently, but we have seen how the spread has also changed defenses and pushed them away from traditional language, responsibilities, and checks. At LSU Riley was allowed to run and hit along with cover, but when needed he could take on a blocker. It is not his ideal game, but he can do it.
Where Riley suffers is his lack of natural athleticism and his lack of playing time. LSU has been stacked at his position for several years, which meant Riley would have to wait his turn. His instincts are not as good as some others and if he misses the read he does not have the wheels to fix it, but he also has a huge ceiling because he lacked that playing time. Give riley a preseason, and that guy will grow immensely as the year goes on.
THE STUD GUY
Reuben Foster, Alabama
Those who are seasoned veterans to my Twitter feed know that I am the official leader of the Duke Riley to the Raiders bandwagon. If you are not a seasoned vet of Twitter feed, change that. Now. It is @holistic_pickle, write that down. Do not include the comma, I am following proper grammar.
If the Raiders drafted Duke Riley in the third round I might cry. If they drafted him in round two, I will not like the value, but love the prospect. Riley is a quality coverage linebacker, he can tackle in the open field, and played within a pro style defense at LSU. We use the term "pro style offense" frequently, but we have seen how the spread has also changed defenses and pushed them away from traditional language, responsibilities, and checks. At LSU Riley was allowed to run and hit along with cover, but when needed he could take on a blocker. It is not his ideal game, but he can do it.
Where Riley suffers is his lack of natural athleticism and his lack of playing time. LSU has been stacked at his position for several years, which meant Riley would have to wait his turn. His instincts are not as good as some others and if he misses the read he does not have the wheels to fix it, but he also has a huge ceiling because he lacked that playing time. Give riley a preseason, and that guy will grow immensely as the year goes on.
THE STUD GUY
Reuben Foster, Alabama
As if you actually thought anybody else would be here. Oddly enough, Foster has been so hyped and covered so deeply for so long, I am lacking the interest to really talk about him. At least at other positions there can be some discussions about who the best prospect is. Here at inside linebacker it is not close.
Firstly, Foster is the only real inside linebacker in the group. The others are outside linebackers that you would have to move into the middle. That is only viable due to the way football is being played currently. You can make the argument that Foster fits that billing as well, but he lost 20 pounds going into this season which is what gave him his incredible speed. I see no reason why he could not add 10 pounds back and be a pure inside linebacker once again. He can be the closest thing to a true mike linebacker this draft has.
Really his biggest issue is with his instincts. He has a tendency to bite on play fakes, but he makes up for it with his speed. His ability to cover running backs out of the backfield is tremendous and he has the ability to cover a tight end down the field as well. There will be questions about his health as there tends to be with any Alabama prospect.
BONUS GUY:
BAT OUT OF HELL GUY
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Firstly, Foster is the only real inside linebacker in the group. The others are outside linebackers that you would have to move into the middle. That is only viable due to the way football is being played currently. You can make the argument that Foster fits that billing as well, but he lost 20 pounds going into this season which is what gave him his incredible speed. I see no reason why he could not add 10 pounds back and be a pure inside linebacker once again. He can be the closest thing to a true mike linebacker this draft has.
Really his biggest issue is with his instincts. He has a tendency to bite on play fakes, but he makes up for it with his speed. His ability to cover running backs out of the backfield is tremendous and he has the ability to cover a tight end down the field as well. There will be questions about his health as there tends to be with any Alabama prospect.
BONUS GUY:
BAT OUT OF HELL GUY
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Ideally McMillan would have stayed in school one more year to be next years Reuben Foster, but no such luck. The trademark for McMillan is pre snap movements. He can diagnose a play early and an attack with an incredible first step and blow past guards. What is mind boggling with all of that athletic ability is the lack of coverage ability. He certainly shows all the signs of being able to become a high quality coverage linebacker, but the lack of it on tape is just weird to me.
Regardless, McMillan plays football like a crazy person, albeit a contained crazy. There is definitely a method to his madness and it shows. He is methodical and intelligent, clearly having a grasp of what occurs in front of him at an early point. His biggest issue is his lack of strength at the point of attack. Many times he gets flushed out and blown away from inside runs if he does not win early with speed.
McMillan fits what the Raiders seemingly want at their inside linebacker spot. I gave him a round two grade, but there is talk of him slipping into round one. In such a case, I would imagine that Davis would fall out of round one. Regardless, the options are immense in this draft for the Raiders and I expect them to address this position within the first four rounds of the draft.
Regardless, McMillan plays football like a crazy person, albeit a contained crazy. There is definitely a method to his madness and it shows. He is methodical and intelligent, clearly having a grasp of what occurs in front of him at an early point. His biggest issue is his lack of strength at the point of attack. Many times he gets flushed out and blown away from inside runs if he does not win early with speed.
McMillan fits what the Raiders seemingly want at their inside linebacker spot. I gave him a round two grade, but there is talk of him slipping into round one. In such a case, I would imagine that Davis would fall out of round one. Regardless, the options are immense in this draft for the Raiders and I expect them to address this position within the first four rounds of the draft.