Raider Nation patiently awaits for the Silver and Black to select their first draft player post-relocation, and one player Raiders brass should keep an eye on is Jordan Elliot from Missouri.
Many fans and writers alike will be skeptical and hopeful the Las Vegas Raiders will be pragmatic and successful in general manager Mike Mayock’s second year with the team. While past terrible picks surely continue to haunt some, having one of the best talent evaluators in the league will surely prevent that from happening again.
One position the Raiders could bolster in the 2020 NFL Draft is defensive tackle. It’s no secret that with the addition of Maliek Collins to group that includes Maurice Hurst, Johnathan Hankins, and P.J. Hall gives the team excellent depth. However, a Day two prospect wouldn’t hurt and could go a long way if Hall doesn’t make it past camp.
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Raiders: From Missouri, Texas, Step Forward Jordan Elliot
The 6-foot-4 inch and 312-pound defensive tackle and his possible draft availability excites me a lot as a positional prospect. Before I delve into his strengths, weaknesses, and whatnot, here is a little video of what he can do.
Round 3 Prospect
Likely to go off the board in round three, it’s my belief he could go as early as the second. While he flashes traits of a pass rusher, his statistical value doesn’t back that up at all. Nonetheless, I feel the statsheet don’t really do his game justice. His forte is at creating opportunities for teammates, also, he’s a very athletic and balanced player who can apply pressure. His agility also helps him in shooting gaps even if this isn’t projected into the run game, which will need some fine-tuning at the NFL level.
An MCL injury earlier in his career has not stopped Elliott from being one of the most dynamic defensive players in this year’s draft and he could really help a team who has struggled at generation pass rush. Proof of his dynamism is his 1.70 second 10-yard split in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, which is similar to that of Chris Jones, who had a stellar 2019 season.
If I were the Raiders I would definitely consider Elliott in the third round in this year’s draft. If I had to sum him up, I would say he is twitchy, dynamic, and has untapped potential.
It remains to be seen what direction the Raiders wil go in or even how the board will fall. Nevertheless, this could be one of the most intriguing drafts in recent years.
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