With a shoulder surgery plus some off-field concerns, Reuben Foster could slide to the Oakland Raiders in the first round.
With the 24th overall selection, the Oakland Raiders will have a tough decision to make. But if Alabama inside linebacker Reuben Foster falls to 24th overall, that decision could become easier. Or, it could become a more difficult decision if they also consider passing on him like the 23 picks prior did.
Foster is widely considered a top ten talent in this draft class, and early in the offseason, he was sometimes being mocked as high as 2nd overall to the 49ers. Now, less than a week before the draft, he looks like a player that could slide on draft day.
Some may scoff at that notion, but here’s why Foster could end up waiting longer than expected to hear his name called on day one of the draft.
The first concern is a medical one. Rueben underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in February, and he missed the NFL Combine as a result. Not being able to test at the Combine leaves questions about what kind of athlete Foster is. There are mixed opinions on this based on his film.
However, there are four things to takeaway from Rueben’s short stay at the Combine. The first being that Foster is undersized for the position. At 6’0″ 229 pounds, since 1999, Foster ranks in the 8th and 9th percentile for his height and weight.
The second thing we learned about Foster from the Combine is that his torn rotator cuff has not healed, and he could require an additional surgery. The situation has been compared to that of Shaq Lawson last year, who was told he would need a second surgery at the Combine and started the year on the PUP list as a result.
The third takeaway from the Combine is the concern of some off-field trouble. Foster got into a heated argument with a doctor and was sent home early. Perhaps not that big of a deal, but for some teams, it will raise some questions.
The fourth thing we learned from the Combine is that his interviews with teams went poorly, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report.
Add that all up, and that’s a pretty rough trip to Indianapolis. All of which negatively affects his draft. The question of how much it affected his draft stock won’t be answered until draft day, but everything that went down in Indy could certainly lead to a draft day slide.
Oh, and here’s the kicker. Foster tested positive for a diluted urine sample, which obviously raises some eyebrows. Even though this may not officially count as a failed test in terms of him testing positive for any sort of drugs, it does put him the NFL’s substance abuse program.
Lastly, the fact of the matter is that NFL teams do not greatly value inside linebackers. It is not considered a premium position, and players at this position are rarely selected with high picks.
Only four have been taken in the top 11 since 2007 — Patrick Willis, Luke Kuechly, Rolando McClain, Jerod Mayo.
Reggie Ragland went 41st, C.J. Mosley went 17th, D’onta Hightower went 25th, and there have been a slew of other taken with late first or early second round picks.
Foster is largely considered to be in the same class of the group of players that went in the top 11, but with concerns about his size, the confrontation that got him sent home from the Combine, potentially needing a second shoulder surgery, poor interviews and a diluted drug test, there is plenty of reason to think he could be in a slide.
Perhaps as far as 24th overall, which is where the Raiders pick. The defense is in dire need of an anchor in the middle, and Foster would fit the bill.
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Despite the concerns, if he’s available, Reggie McKenzie would have to give Foster a hard look. And the only reason why I say “a hard look” instead of “run up to the podium to pick him” is because most everyone thought that would happen if Myles Jack fell to the Raiders at 14 last year, and then McKenzie passed on him.
So if Foster does fall, and McKenzie does pass on him, prepare for Raider Nation to freak out. But if Foster falls and ends up in Silver and Black, then that would be an absolute dream scenario for the Raiders.
We’ll find out what happens on April 27th.