Raiders 2018 NFL Draft: 5 ILBs to target in the first two rounds

To say Malik Jefferson is ready for the NFL would be an understatement. Coming into the 2017 college football season, Malik Jefferson was viewed as a potential first round draft pick, and he may just end up in the first round after all is said and done.

A freshman All-American during his first season with the Texas Longhorns, Jefferson only got better as his career went on. Last season, Jefferson was a second-team All-American, and was the Big 12’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Jefferson measures up at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, so he certainly has the size to be a middle linebacker at the next level. He is as sure a tackler as this draft class has to offer, and has great instincts from his linebacker position.

Not only did Jefferson run a 4.52 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine, but he also proved to be one of the strongest linebackers in the draft class. Jefferson put up 225 pounds 27 times, which was the second-best total of any player in his position class.

Jefferson is a very smart football player, and is not only solid against the run, but also in pass coverage. Linebackers have a lot of responsibility in Guenther’s system, and Jefferson would be a nice fit for the Raiders.