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2018 Raiders NFL Draft profile: Boston College DE/OLB Harold Landry

By Thomas Wheaton

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 07: Harold Landry No. 7 of the Boston College Eagles attempts to tackle Travon McMillian No. 34 of the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alumni Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 07: Harold Landry No. 7 of the Boston College Eagles attempts to tackle Travon McMillian No. 34 of the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alumni Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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Here is a 2018 NFL Draft profile on Boston College EDGE Harold Landry, who the Oakland Raiders could draft in the first round.

What’s better than having Khalil Mack on your team? Well, I can’t really think of anything better than that. Except maybe having two of him? If the Raiders find a way to get Harold Landry during the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday night, they would be taking a huge step towards having two Khalil Mack’s.

No, I am not saying that Harold Landry is Mack, not even close. But, he has the potential to become a top-tier defensive end in the NFL. If he continues to add muscle and learn some more pass rushing moves, Landry and Mack could become one of the best pass rushing duos in the league.

College Career

If you keep up with the “experts” on the draft, one of the biggest critiques of Landry is that his 2017 tape doesn’t match his play from the prior two seasons. Now, he was hampered by an ankle injury last year, but scouts questioned his effort last season.

Good thing about effort is it can be adjusted, and with Jon Gruden at the helm, I doubt there will be a lack of motivation from any of the players.

Landry became one of the nation’s best pass rushers over his four-year career at Boston College. He accumulated 48 tackles for loss and 25 sacks in four seasons. Amazingly, 16.5 of those sacks came in his junior season. He returned for his senior year, but due to his ankle injury he only played in eight games and recorded five sacks.

Looking at his tape, especially his sophomore and junior seasons, it is a no-brainer as to why he is one of the top prospects in this year’s draft.

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 252 pounds

40 time: 4.64 at NFL Scouting Combine (No. 4, Bradley Chubb was No. 5)

Bench Press: 24 reps at 225 pounds at NFL Scouting Combine (No. 8)

Vertical Jump: 36 inches at NFL Scouting Combine (T. 3)

20-yard shuttle: 4.19 seconds at NFL Scouting Combine (T. 1)

Why drafting him makes sense for the Raiders

The Raiders lack a true pass rusher aside from Khalil Mack. Bruce Irvin has the ability to get after the quarterback, but he is not even close to Mack. If the Raiders can add another talented edge rusher, they should.

Linebacker and cornerback are clearly needs on this roster, but corners are useless if the quarterback has all day to throw.

Pairing Mack with someone like Landry would be huge for the Raider’s defense and would significantly improve the unit. Teams can double-team Mack and not be punished because there isn’t anyone else who can collapse the pocket consistently.

With Landry on the left, and Mack on the right (or vice versa) opposing teams will have nightmares trying to keep their quarterback on his feet.

Where the Raiders will likely target him

Landry is unlikely to be taken prior to the Raider’s tenth overall selection, so simply taking Landry at No. 10 could be an option. However, if things play out well for the Raiders, trading back could become a possibility.

If Josh Rosen, or any other quarterback for that matter, falls to the Raiders, a team such as the Cardinals would likely inquire about switching spots with Oakland.

Moving back to No. 15, it is still likely that Landry would be on the board. Grabbing an extra pick or two and still landing Landry would be a dream scenario for the Raiders.

Video Highlights

Next: Full first round mock draft: V. 7.0

Conclusion

Landry is by no means a perfect prospect. He lacks a power move and relies pretty heavily on his quickness to beat offensive linemen. Luckily, the weight room and a full offseason regime could do wonders for the questions about his strength.

The natural talent and raw athleticism is there, and it is abundantly clear that Landry has a very high ceiling. So much so that experts compare him to Vic Beasley, who has been tearing it up in Atlanta.

If the Raiders have the opportunity, which they should, drafting Landry would be a great move for the organization. Having two elite players at the second most important position would be a dream, hopefully Reggie McKenzie can pull the trigger and make Landry a Raider.

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