Raiders: Alex Leatherwood’s credentials make him a smart pick, not a reach
What the Alex Leatherwood detractors are saying
The negatives around Alex Leatherwood are not major red flags but they do make you stop and think. According to Brugler’s draft guide known as “The Beast”, Leatherwood’s weaknesses include “lower-body stiffness…lacking explosive power in his upper half…struggling to control defenders in the run game…overrun defenders in space at the second level”.
Reading through this might make you wonder why he is a prospect at all but all of them read as issues that can be fixed through coaching and development, especially the questions around his strength and explosiveness. Kolton Miller is a prime example of someone the Raiders developed as he struggled with stronger pass rushers in his rookie season but has become one of the best pass protectors in the league.
The Draft Network echoed some of the same sentiments about Leatherwood’s lower-body stiffness and believe it will be difficult for him to “match the quick movements from twitchy edge defenders, which forces him into performing panic techniques by lunging and placing all of his weight forward”.
They believe his best football will be at guard where these “deficiencies” can be masked but that teams should still “experiment with him at offensive tackle to test his development and consistency there”.
So we have heard all about the weaknesses in Leatherwood’s game and can understand why he would not project as a left tackle at the NFL level but thankfully the Raiders already have that position covered for a long time. If these are the weaknesses, what are the strengths that made the Raiders use the 17th pick on the former Alabama star?