Second round, pick 37: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB (South Carolina)
Replacing another loss on the Raiders defense, Demetrius Knight Jr. would bring even more of a dynamic presence to the middle of the field than Robert Spillane did for several seasons.
Knight is a talented athlete for the position, as evidenced by his 8.21 Relative Athletic Score, and thus shows up on tape as he is a fluid mover in coverage who has impressive lateral agility while gaining depth in zone.
His size helps in this area as well. At 6’1” with a 32-inch arms he is able to make more plays on the ball in the middle of the field. Combined with impressive instincts, and this is a supremely talented coverage player.
Where Knight struggles is his open field tackling. Prone to lunge at ball carriers, he misses tackles due to poor form more than anything else. This is not to say he can’t tackle, but he may be better suited in the middle of the defense, where he is more likely to have help, than on the outside, where he could find himself isolated more often.
An instant starter for the Raiders, it would represent a big investment at the linebacker position. While this is something Las Vegas has been unwilling to do for years, new head coach Pete Carroll always had talented linebacker groups in Seattle and understands the importance of the position.