Oakland Raiders identity starting to show

May 8, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson (right) with tight ends Terrell Pinson (44), Gabe Holmes (82) and Clive Walford (88) at rookie minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Tight End

Tight end Clive Walford only practiced a couple of time before making a 22-yard catch on Friday. He got vertical up the seam, something he does better than any other tight end with the Raiders. This is why default starter Mychal Rivera’s days of starting for the Raiders are likely coming to an end.

On top of the athleticism he shows as a receiver, he is a solid run-blocker you don’t have to take off the field. The Raiders stole the best tight end in the 2015 NFL Draft in the third round in May. He’s put up better numbers than any tight end that’s ever gone through the University of Miami.

Kellen Winslow Jr., Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, and Jimmy Graham have all been through there. And Walford had the best season of any tight end from “the U” with a freshman quarterback. He was the star of the offseason program before pulling his hamstring and he’ll be a star on this offense. In a league where the defending Super Bowl champions use a tight end as their number one target, the Raiders have a potential franchise player at the position is a big step towards the team becoming more competitive in 2015.

Next: Receiver