Five Raiders storylines to follow as OTA’s begin
By Evan Groat
Undrafted Free Agents
Reggie McKenzie has had a bit of a hot hand recently in finding talent among the undrafted free agent pool, and Raiders fans are hoping his luck continues in 2017.
Following the 2017 NFL Draft, there are three UDFA’s that have drawn the most attention — Baylor wide receiver Ishmael Zamora, Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown and Wagner linebacker Najee Harris.
Ishmael Zamora is especially intriguing because of his combination of size and speed, measuring in at 6’4″ and running a 4.53 second 40-yard dash. Zamora had a productive final season at Baylor, catching 63 passes for 809 yards and 8 touchdowns. If Zamora is able to make the 53-man roster, he could fill the void left by Andre Holmes as a big bodied red zone target for Derek Carr.
The second most notable undrafted free agent is Pharaoh Brown, who suffered a horrific injury in 2014 that legitimately nearly cost him his leg. Brown was miraculously able to return to the Oregon Ducks in 2016, and hopes to regain the same form that made him a big-time recruit.
But with Brown, there are some concerns outside of his health. He was accused of three separate acts of violence during his time in Eugene, with two of those incidents involving physical altercations with teammates. The third incident is that he was investigated for strangulation following a physical confrontation with his then girlfriend. Although Brown was never charged in this incident, at the minimum, it’s safe to say that he carries some baggage with him.
If Brown can prove that his off-field issues are a thing of the past, and if he can regain the athleticism he lost with the leg injury, he’ll be a legitimate contender to make the 53-man roster.
Najee Harris wasn’t in the first batch of undrafted free agents that were signed, but a three-year deal not too long after opened some eyes. Coming from the small school of Wagner College, Harris was invited to rookie mini-camp as a tryout player and impressed enough to earn a contract.
Harris has experience playing both inside and outside linebacker, and he finished his season with 44 tackles. Being in desperate need of help at the position, if Harris can hold his own during OTA’s and again in camp, he’ll be a sleeper to make final cuts.