Oakland Raiders 2015 NFL Draft Grades
By Andrew
Nov 15, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes tight end Clive Walford (46) runs past Florida State Seminoles defensive end Chris Casher (21) for a touchdown during the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Clive Walford
In the third round the Raiders made a splash when they selected Clive Walford a player some considered to be the top tight end. On tape Walford displays a rare combination of size and athleticism and plays faster than his 40 time suggests. He displays good hands when catching the ball, and is an effective blocker. He may not be the strongest player, but the amount of effort he puts into his blocks makes him successful and shows you that this kid is a football player.
The only issue I found when studying Walford is ball security at times he would let the defender strip the ball away and he will need to work on that, because defenses will exploit it in the NFL. All in all Walford was a great pick that provides Carr with a high caliber tight-end. When Walford is paired with Rivera the Raiders may have one of the better duos in the league. I like the competition that this will create within the locker room as it could be a move that pushes Rivera’s development.
Grade: A