Raiders 2022 Mock Draft: Las Vegas goes on the defensive early
Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has always loved versatile defenders and defensive backs and he has some significant weapons in place but there is always room for more. He has players like Divine Deablo who were tweeners but have become solid starters and others like Jonathan Abram who can play a dual role as a deep safety but thrive inside the box.
Another player that fits the bill as a versatile defender is Sterling Weatherford from Miami University in Ohio who played safety at the college level but may be a better fit as a nickel linebacker or box safety similar to Abram. Weatherford has excellent physical tools as he measured in at 6’4″ and 225lbs while running a 4.59 40 yard dash and putting up 21 reps on the bench press.
The former RedHawk looks to be another small school prospect that has used an excellent Senior Bowl and pro day performance to improve his draft stock and he could end up being an impact defender at the next level.
The knock on Weatherford is that he could be a bit of a tweener and we have seen both sides of that coin for the Raiders where they succeeded with Deablo but failed with Tanner Muse who was released just a year after he was drafted. Both players were considered good to great athletes but Muse did not have the fluidity to play in coverage and that is a concern with Weatherford as well.
If Weatherford is able to carve out a role it will likely be on special teams initially but we could see him make his way up the depth chart given how thin the Raiders are at linebacker. Similar to Deablo who lined up at safety at times last year, Weatherford could be asked to do the same and with enough experience could excel.