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Ranking the Oakland Raiders Draft Needs

By Austin Gayle

Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans Dennis Busch (left) and Zach Masch pose during an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans Dennis Busch (left) and Zach Masch pose during an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 21, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls linebacker Tyler Matakevich (8) reacts after a turnover on downs against the Memphis Tigers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Temple Owls won 31-12. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls linebacker Tyler Matakevich (8) reacts after a turnover on downs against the Memphis Tigers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Temple Owls won 31-12. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Inside Linebacker

After spending a majority of the season watching Curtis Lofton struggle at inside linebacker, Oakland Raiders fans fell in love with rookie linebacker Ben Heeney despite his limited role.

Heeney, a former Kansas product, accumulated 38 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two passes defensed in 315 defensive snaps.

Given his athleticism, Heeney has shown signs that he can excel in zone coverage in the middle of the defense and that he is capable of chasing down some of the faster backs in the league along the edge. Though his non-stop motor gives him upside in the run game, Heeney still struggles to effectively shed blocks and make plays as an in-the-box linebacker against the run.

Though I also am in favor of watching Heeney excel in an increased role, there are still limitations to his game that should force Oakland to consider bringing in another option if the Heeney project doesn’t pan out.

Former Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland is the No. 2 ranked linebacker in this class behind UCLA’s Myles Jack, and though there are some serious concerns regarding his ability to cover in space, his ability as a run defender are incomparable to any other linebacker in this class. Ragland is an aggressive, downhill linebacker that consistently makes plays near the scrimmage and in between the tackles when defending the run.

With Oakland, Ragland would have the opportunity to thrive on early downs as a top-tier run defender in the middle of their defense while Heeney locks it down as their coverage linebacker on third down, but spending a first-round pick on a two-down player is still a risk that McKenzie might not be willing to take.

Former Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers and Temple’s Tyler Matakevich provide a similar skill set to Ragland in that they both have desirable instincts and run stuffing qualities, and Oakland could justify bringing in a limited linebacker in coverage with Heeney on the roster if they make the selection outside of round one.

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