In a practical but semi-necessary decision, the Oakland Raiders added a kick and punt return specialist to the roster. Andre Debose isn’t going to catch a lot of passes from quarterback Derek Carr, but he’ll look to put the offense in good field position.
The knock on this pick is that Debose is a one-dimensional player. As a receiver, he’s not a threat on the field. When he’s returning kicks, it’s a different story. In four seasons at Florida, he accumulated 2,111 kick return yards and returned four kicks for touchdowns. He has a 26.7 yard kick return average.
Bleacher Report’s Matt ...
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie made a questionable call with the fourth-round pick by selecting Jon Feliciano in a comical stretch for a guard, who was likely a seventh-round prospect or an undrafted free agent, per CBS Sports and NFL.com.
The Raiders partially made up for the miscue with the seventh-round pick, selecting Anthony Morris out of Tennessee State. Most analysts didn’t have the Tennessee State product on their draft boards, but he’s a solid pick from a non-powerhouse school. He’s listed as a tackle but has the ability to move across the offensive line.
At 6’7”, 303 pounds, Morris was ...
The Oakland Raiders drafted Justin Tuck’s eventual replacement in the sixth round of the draft. Max Valles didn’t get the same recognition teammate Eli Harold received heading into the draft, but he’ll become a solid player for analysts to talk about going forward.
In 2014, the Virginia defensive lineman led the team with nine sacks. He’s comfortable dropping back in coverage with eight passes defensed. In addition, he’s a decent run defender who's able to track ball-carriers and disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage (12.5 tackles for a loss). The coaching staff can keep him on the field for all ...
When the No. 161 overall pick was announced in the 2015 NFL draft, it seemed like a horrible pick for the Oakland Raiders. However, when you dig a little deeper, there’s something intriguing about Neiron Ball out of Florida.
Statistics aren’t the entire picture with this particular prospect. Ball’s college resume doesn’t strike you as a player ready to make big contributions in the NFL. However, when assessing his unique attributes—speed, strength, toughness and versatility—there’s a slight chance he makes the 53-man roster for the 2015 season.
Versatility is a term thrown around very often when describing a player. What the term ...
STRENGTHSDexter McDonald reinvented himself at Kansas—with a stint at Butler Community College in the middle—and has turned into one of the top athletes at cornerback in this class. McDonald fills out the triangle (height, weight, speed) and can play at the line of scrimmage with his length. He'll be aggressive at the snap and can pin receivers to the line. McDonald has good experience in press coverage and would make an easy transition there in either the slot or at outside cornerback. He's an aggressive, physical player who will stick his nose in and make plays. WEAKNESSESA lack of play strength ...
Andre Debose has been drafted by the Oakland Raiders.Watch as our NFL draft experts grade the pick, provide a full scouting report and what he brings to Oakland.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
Reggie McKenzie found his draft-projection compass in the fifth round when the Oakland Raiders selected Ben Heeney with the No. 140 pick.
There’s no question Curtis Lofton is the starting inside linebacker, but the Raiders desperately needed depth at the position. Miles Burris will likely move back to outside linebacker to redeem his credibility on the field. All of a sudden, Oakland has a roster stacked with linebackers capable of stepping up in case a starter goes down to injury.
At 6’0", 231 pounds, Heeney is considered an undersized linebacker, but so were prolific inside linebackers Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas when they ...
STRENGTHSMax Valles is a blank canvas for NFL teams to work with—both physically and technically. He has a long, lean frame with room to grow. As a player, he's lined up opposite Eli Harold, putting his hand in the dirt and standing up as a rush 'backer. Valles likes to win with strength, and he uses his hands well to stack and shed blockers on the edge. He's agile enough to whip around the edge as a pass-rusher and will show speed and toughness when coming off the corner. WEAKNESSESValles' lower body needs to be filled out, so adding strength needs ...
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is alternating good and bad picks during the 2015 draft. After a solid third-round choice, Raiders brass made a far reach for Jon Feliciano in the fourth round.
What’s troubling is the Raiders initially held the No. 102 overall pick but opted to trade back twice, finally landing in the 124th spot. Essentially, McKenzie passed on Tre’ Jackson (New England Patriots, 111th overall pick), Arie Kouandjio (Washington Redskins, 112th overall pick) and Jamil Douglas (Miami Dolphins, 114th overall pick), and Josue Matias (Florida State) was still available.
Feliciano might have impressed the Raiders front office, but he would have ...
STRENGTHSA versatile athlete with a bit of a mean streak, Neiron Ball is built like an outside linebacker (6'2", 236 lbs) with a defensive end's demeanor. He's not afraid to jump in lanes and take on blockers or running backs and plays stronger than you'd expect. He moved all over the Florida defense and had production at outside linebacker and inside linebacker in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. He has the speed to run down the ball in space. WEAKNESSESBall underwent microfracture surgery in November and is a question mark to play in 2015. On the field, he doesn't look to be ...