Oakland Raiders: Inside linebacker options after Day 1
By Austin Gayle
Nick Vigil, Utah State
Nick Vigil, a former inside linebacker at Utah State and brother of now Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Vigil, is an aggressive, energetic player that has (as you might expect) statistically dominated the Mountain-West Conference.
Over his last two seasons with the Aggies, Vigil has accumulated 267 tackles, 30.5 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage (10 sacks), according to CFBStats.com.
Vigil is an extremely competitive player that has blown scouts away with his every-down effort and tenacity. Also, Vigil is quick to diagnose the play and will often avoid contact with the offensive lineman because he is able to fill the lane before the play has fully developed. Unlike a lot of the guys on this list, Vigil, a former running back with Utah State, possesses enough athleticism to at least be serviceable in zone coverage in the NFL.
At 6’2”, 239 pounds, Vigil has ideal height but below-average thickness for a true 4-3 middle linebacker in the NFL; therefore, Vigil is often bullied when opposing offensive linemen get their hands on him or when he gets caught up in the traffic near the line of scrimmage. Though he is a bit more athletic than some of the other guys on this list, Vigil still needs to work on his lateral quickness and overall technique in coverage before he can succeed as a three-down linebacker at the next level.
With Vigil likely need to add some muscle to his frame by carrying his effort off the field and into weight room, it’s likely that he is still available for Oakland to take him off their board somewhere in the fifth round if they believe he’s a good fit.