2021 NFL Draft: Did the Las Vegas Raiders get it right on Day 2?

Picks No. 79 and 80

Koonce was a bit of a surprise this early in the draft as most analysts saw him as a day-three prospect. However, at this point, we know the Raiders could care less about what people outside the building think. Koonce is similar in the mold of Yannick Ngakoue in that he is a guy who can bend the edge and has a natural pass-rush ability.

The Raiders need to pressure the quarterback if they hope to make this defense better in 2021. Gus Bradley is not someone who likes to blitz a ton, so the front four has to win consistently. Koonce won’t provide much in stopping the run (also like Ngakoue) at the moment, so he’s probably a designated pass rusher early on. Another comparison to think about is Bruce Irvin, who Raiders fans and Gus Bradley are very familiar with.

For Deablo, besides having one of the best names in the entire draft, he brings a physical profile that will have Raiders thinking of another for Seahawk, that being Kam Chancellor. The similarities between the two physically are almost eerie. Both 6’3, around 230 pounds with 33” arms and will knock dudes out on the football field.

Plus, both played their college ball at Virginia Tech. The only difference is that Deablo is faster, having clocked a 4.45 40 yard-dash compared to Chancellor’s 4.62, an added plus. Reportedly the Raiders want to play him a WILL linebacker, which will be interesting considering how perfect of a fit Deable seems for the rover role. He can theoretically be a tight end eraser and be the intimidator on the backend. He doesn’t move well laterally, but that’s why you take Moehrig to handle the deep field assignments.