Grading The Oakland Raiders 2017 Draft

Round 7, 231st Overall – Jylan Ware, OT, Alabama State

With their second selection in the round, which like the first one, was acquired by trading out of the sixth, the Raiders double dipped at offensive tackle.

From the small school of Alabama State, there were few in the draft media that had Jylan Ware on their radar. But if a team with an eye for talent like Oakland does has their eye fixated on a small school guy, it should turn some heads.

Ware was named one of the 10 most notable NFL Combine snubs by Sporting News, who reported that he would likely have more than 20 teams in attendance to watch his Pro Day.

https://twitter.com/JylanWare/status/837006989729415186

He’s a superb athlete for the position and has the size to boot, standing at 6’8″ 295 pounds. His footwork is solid and his hands are active, but he needs to add some weight to his frame to help him anchor against bull rushes.

This picks feels like the Raiders found another late round contributor on the offensive line, a la Denver Kirkland and Vadal Alexander.

Grade: B

Round 7, 242nd Overall – Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina

The Raiders entered the day with two picks in the final round, and before the day ended, had four of them. That gave McKenzie the flexibility to add a skill position player, and he did that with the selection of Elijah Hood.

Given his running style, Hood is exactly the type of back Raiders fans have been clamoring for. A power back who isn’t afraid of contact, runs hard and can fight for the tough yards. Hood does all of those things, and is a load to bring down.

He has the balance to stay on his feet through contract, and the leg drive and upper body strength to power through arm tackles. North Carolina used him as their primary pass protector, which is a valuable for any back to stay on the field on third down.

Hood lacks the shiftiness and agility to make guys miss in the open field, which definitely isn’t his game. Overall, he’s only a decent athlete, so he might not ever be a big-time back, but he could definitely have a future as a short-yardage, change of pace back used to wear down defenses.

Grade: C+

Round 7, 244th Overall – Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo

To end the draft weekend, McKenzie double dipped at yet another position, grabbing defensive tackle Treyvon Hester out of Toledo.

Hester is a slightly above average athlete with plus instincts and active hands. He produced like one of the better plays in his conference, recording 161 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 47 games.

He’ll be 25 before the season starts, though, and had labrum surgery in December. He’s undersized and also struggled with his weight during the season, and it’ll difficult to overcome having short arms in the NFL.

But he has quickness of the ball and a high motor, so he could stick as a rotational player.

Grade: C