2018 Raiders NFL Draft: Ten value picks in Round 3 and after

Oren Burks started his career at Vanderbilt as a safety but made the transition to linebacker in 2016. Because of that, he brings excellent athleticism and coverage ability that could improve Oakland’s sad pass defense.

While he was not a big prospect heading into the NFL Scouting Combine, he certainly made his mark once he got there. In fact, he killed it at the combine by displaying rare quickness and explosive measurables, which should be intriguing to most teams, let alone Oakland.

I’m big on linebackers who can play in nickel packages and make plays in coverage and Burks can do that. The Raiders defense needs players who can wear multiple hats, which makes Burks an intriguing prospect later in the draft.

He is still learning the position so knowing how to take on blockers and proper angles as a tackler are issues. Despite this, I’m shocked he’s so lowly regarded among NFL scouts.

I’ve seen him graded in the 5th or 6th round on NFL Network, and that may be his ceiling in this draft class. Teams are moving towards faster more athletic linebackers and Burks fits that mold, and if the Silver and Black come calling, he could be a big steal for Oakland.