The Las Vegas Raiders picked Tanner Muse in the third round in 2020, but after missing his rookie season, where does he fit in?
The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2020 offseason with a huge need at linebacker, and it was clear that they made it a priority in free agency, and the draft. In free agency, Nick Kwiatkoski and especially Cory Littleton were two of their biggest signings, two guys who were supposed to revamp the position group as a whole.
During the 2020 NFL Draft, the team used one of their three third-round draft picks on Clemson safety Tanner Muse, who won two national titles with the Tigers. A hybrid-type player in college, it was stated that Muse would be making a full-time move to the linebacker spot, which would have bode well for a franchise looking for linebackers who can cover.
Unfortunately, Muse never got going as a rookie, suffering a foot injury, and being placed on injured reserve on September 7, just one day after his 24th birthday. After sitting out his rookie campaign, Muse has more competition than ever to get some playing time.
Raiders draft Divine Deablo
Also in the third round, but this time in 2021, Divine Deablo from West Virginia was one of the team’s two selections in a row. Like Muse, Deablo has the versatility to play both linebacker and safety at the next level and may be the better athlete of the two.
It will be interesting to see how these two battle it out this summer, as we know the Raiders plan to start Littleton, Kwiatkoski, and Nicholas Morrow, but the depth behind them must be figured out. Muse is going to be used in some kind of role, as the front office is high on him, and it could actually be as a special teams ace this Fall.
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Las Vegas brought in some solid talent in the 2021 NFL Draft, and many are expected to help this team in a big way as rookies. For Muse, missing last season is going to hurt him, as he will have to work his way up the depth chart, but he has enough versatility to make his presence felt in some way in Year 2.