Now that the 2015 NFL draft has come and gone, it's time to take a look at how the Oakland Raiders did. With lots of needs and plenty of picks thanks to a couple of Day 3 trades, the Raiders were in a great position to greatly improve the roster.
In 2014, the Raiders came away with several starters. In 2015, the team once again added 2-3 potential starters. More importantly, Oakland came away this year with much-needed depth at several positions.
Aside from the team's first-round pick, there aren't any big names in Oakland's group of draft picks. But what should ...
The Oakland Raiders' draft was similar to surviving a roller coaster ride after your seatbelt unfastens halfway through the ride. It started off safely. Then it started to get downright scary, and at the end you live to talk about it, but you’re still confused about what exactly happened.
Let me explain.
Reggie McKenzie sided with his coaching staff when both Amari Cooper and Leonard Williams were available with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft—and then he ran the show from that point forward. This draft reeks of high-risk high-reward moves, beginning with the second-round pick.
The enigmatic maneuvering reached a ...
The Oakland Raiders finally addressed a thin secondary with their last pick of the 2015 NFL draft. Dexter McDonald out of Kansas was the No. 242 overall pick.
In an interesting turn of events, undersized Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was there for the taking in the seventh round as well. At one point, he was considered a first-round talent but his projection continued to plummet over the past 72 hours.
In terms of value, Ekpre-Olomu was a better pick. However, in terms of scheme fit, McDonald is the type of CB the Raiders need. He’s a physical swat defender, meaning his long ...
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 ...