Las Vegas Raiders quick reaction 2020 NFL Draft grade: Tanner Muse
Why the pick makes sense and grade
The pick makes sense because despite the Raiders making splashes in free agency at linebacker, there was a steep drop off from the duo of Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski. Muse could provide size and athleticism to the third linebacker slot that was missing when Nicholas Morrow was on the field.
He also brings maturity and leadership to the Raiders locker room after being a captain at Clemson his senior season.
Muse is known to be an intelligent player that can quickly diagnose plays but the lack of fluidity is a major concern if he is expected to cover running backs out of the backfield or if he ends up matched up on a slot wide receiver. There may have been better options available with this selection but Muse continues the trend of Raiders brass drafting players based on smarts, toughness, leadership, and need.
Next. Draft grade: Bryan Edwards. dark
At worst it appears that Muse can be an impact player on special teams due to his impressive speed and can provide depth at the linebacker position that is always needed due to the high turnover at the position. He does not project to be a starter at either safety or linebacker but he could be another player in the mold of Jeff Heath, a grinder that uses toughness and smarts to outshine his athletic deficiencies.