Raiders 2017 NFL Draft Prospect: Michigan LB Ben Gedeon

The Oakland Raiders are in desperate need of help at linebacker, and Ben Gedeon could provide some help as a day three selection in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Oakland Raiders need help at linebacker, and at 6-foot-2, 243 pounds, former Michigan inside linebacker Ben Gedeon is a high motor prospect with freakish athleticism given his long, bulky stature, giving him an obvious edge over other linebackers in this year’s draft class.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, however, saw beyond Gedeon’s measurements, as he instead praised him for his unparalleled work ethic and knowledge of the game.

"“He’s a great player,” Harbaugh said, per Steve Kornacki of Michigan’s official team site. “ He’s a conscientious hard worker. He’s a football player.”"

Despite earning such high praise from one of the top college football coaches in the game, Gedeon is still projected to fall to Day 3 of the draft largely due to his lack of experience with Big Blue.

Working behind former Michigan stars Jake Ryan and Joe Bolden, Gedeon saw a majority of his snaps come on special teams in his first three years with the Wolverines. He totaled just 70 combined tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in that span.

Just two days before the start of the 2016 season, Gedeon was ready to finally take over Michigan’s defense.

"“I’ve played a lot of football,” Gedeon said, per ESPN’s Dan Murphy. “I’ve learned a lot. I’m ready for it to be my turn.”"

Gedeon quickly proved he was indeed ready.

In 13 starts with the Wolverines, Gedeon amassed a career-high 106 combined tackles (38 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two passes defensed. With said efforts, he was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team (media) and All-Big Ten Third Team (coaches) in 2016. He also earned the 2016 Roger Zatkoff Award, an award given to Michigan’s top linebacker.

Gedeon put on one of his best displays against Ohio State in 2016, totaling 10 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.

Here, Gedeon quickly reads the pulling guard to the left side of the line of scrimmage to effectively diagnose the play and make a play on the running back with great explosiveness and burst.

Later in the game, Gedeon disengages from the offensive lineman at the second level to tackle the running back and drive him back towards the line of scrimmage.

Gedeon has since participated in the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he, of course, continued to impress.

After putting together a strong week in practice, Gedeon registered nine tackles and one forced fumble in Saturday’s star-studded affair.

Former Michigan defensive lineman Chris Wormley spoke highly of his former teammate in an interview with Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich at the Senior Bowl.

"“He’s intelligent. He’s a tough kid,” Wormley said of Gedeon. “He works his butt off every day. He constantly works. This was his first year starting and he played phenomenal for us. He’s one of the best linebackers in the country. Now he’s at the Senior Bowl starting.”"

Both Gedeon and Wormley have moved on from the Senior Bowl to prepare for the 2017 NFL Scouting combine, as they are two of 14 former Wolverines expected to take the trip to Indianapolis.

Gedeon’s athleticism will be put to the ultimate test in front of personnel from all 32 teams across the league, including an Oakland Raiders team in desperate need of an impact inside linebacker.

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Behind pending free agents Perry Riley Jr. and Malcolm Smith on the depth chart, the Raiders lack starting caliber talent at the inside linebacker position. However, even if both Smith and Riley return, Oakland’s defense is bound to again struggle against running backs and tight ends in coverage.

With Smith and Riley manning the ship, the Raiders’ defense ranked 23^rd in coverage against both running backs and tight ends in 2016, per Football Outsiders.

However, with Gedeon at the helm, the Raiders’ woes in coverage could come to abrupt halt. Also, he could have a significant impact on Oakland’s ability to defend perimeter runs given his elite closing speed.

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If he does fall into the Raiders’ lap on Day 3, Gedeon would have an immediate impact as a core special teamer with obvious upside given his potential as an every-down linebacker at the next level.