of the first chances Raiders rookies had to be around veteran Raiders and also new free agency acquisitions Charles Woodson Jersey , and new Raiders safety Johnathan Abram was a little..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesSilver And Black Pride homepageHorizontal - WhiteSilver And Black Pridean Oakland Raiders communityFollow Silver And Black Pride online:Follow Silver And Black Pride on TwitterFollow Silver And Black Pride on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchSilver And Black Pride main menuFanpostsFanshotsRaidersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Raiders StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Raiders NewsYahoo Raiders Team PageYahoo Raiders ReportYahoo Raiders Depth ChartYahoo Raiders TransactionsYahoo Raiders PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub d5;Johnathan Abram watched r16;so much filmr17; of Lamarcus Joyner, patterned game after himNew,136commentsPDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Johnathan Abram watched r16;so much filmr17; of Lamarcus Joyner, patterned game after himTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Jonathan Bachman/Getty ImagesThis weekr17;s voluntary OTAs was one of the first chances Raiders rookies had to be around veteran Raiders and also new free agency acquisitions, and new Raiders safety Johnathan Abram was a little star-struck by playing alongside one of the veteran players Oakland brought in this offseason.Lamarcus Joyner is in the #29 jersey in this picture next to Abram, and they appear deep in conversation. I had to do a little digging to find out when Jeremy Pruitt coached Abram, but it was in Abramr17;s freshman year at Georgia when Pruitt was the Bulldogsr17; defensive coordinator. Georgia coach Mark Richt was fired and new coach Kirby Smart did not retain Pruitt, who went on to become the DC at Alabama and now is the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Abram transferred to Mississippi State for the remainder of his college career.Abram stood out as a small but hard-hitting safety with tremendous speed and playmaking ability, which is exactly what Joyner is as well. Joyner played safety at Florida State (which is presumably what film Abram was watching) and was one of the best and most dynamic safeties in the country when he was drafted by the Rams. Jeff Fisher, in his genius, used Joyner as a nickel corner, but it was Joynerr17;s return to safety in 2018 under Rams DC Wade Phillips that returned him to his former glory and made him such an attractive option for the Raiders in free agency. One imagines Joyner will do all of the above for the Raiders, but itr17;s Abram who looks to become that game-changing safety now, and with his particular skill set there are very few players he would be better served to work with than Lamarcus Joyner. Free agency has tapered down now. But the Raiders were plenty active. The Antonio Brown and Trent Brown deals showed Gruden and Mayock together are capable of making a big splash to address two..."Free agency has tapered down now. But the Raiders were plenty active. The Antonio Brown and Trent Brown deals showed Gruden and Mayock together are capable of making a big splash to address two major needs. The secondary was attacked with the signing of LaMarcus Joyner. Even linebacker gained new faces with the signing of Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall who figure to add some veteran stability in the middle.But edge rusher? Still easily the biggest hole on the roster.The lone additions were Josh Mauro and Alex Barrett, two players who have done little to prove they can rush the passer in the NFL. No disrespect to Mauro who could end up being a fan favorite for his run stopping ability, but he isnr17;t much of a pass rusher. And Barrett has only played meaningful minutes in the now defunct AAF. These two additions at defensive end donr17;t give fans much hope who keep looking at the 2018 sack total and wondering when a pass rusher will be added..The Raiders have put all their eggs in the draft basket and will need to hit home-runs on draft picks targeting an edge rusher (or two) later this month. The 4th overall pick could net one but itr17;s also possible blue chip prospects Nick Bosa and Josh Allen are off the board by the time the Raiders make their selection. Those two would be no brainers and instantly upgrade the position if available.But letr17;s take a look at who the Raiders might target later on if they donr17;t land one of those two with their first pick.Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesClelin Ferrell, Clemson, Round 1Ferrell is a power rusher and pushes offensive linemen around every play. Possessing the requisite size (6r17;4 265) for Paul Guentherr17;s scheme, Ferrell would be a perfect value if still on the board when the Raiders make the 24th pick.Ferrell was a leader on the National Championship team that took out powerhouse Alabama earlier this year, he made big plays throughout his career to back up his status as a first round defensive end.A do-it-all player who can stop the run to rush the passer, Ferrell was even asked to drop into coverage at times to take away the RPO schemes that have taken over college football. Thought of as one of the best defensive ends in the country when the season started, but other defensive ends like Brian Burns, Montez Sweat, and even Rashan Gary have gained traction.It seems like Ferrell is losing steam in the eyes of talent evaluators and if available when the Raiders make their picks later in the first round, Ferrell would be a slam dunk.Chase Winovich, Michigan, Round 2Winovich played on a heralded defense boasting several future NFL draft picks. While the defensive end playing opposite from Winovich, Rashan Gary, gets much of the spotlight Willie Brown Jersey , Winovich outplayed him most games the two took the field. The Michigan defensive end isnr17;t the biggest player on the edge but he is a fundamentally sound player who uses great technique to win against the pass and run.Boasting an excellent get off and strength at the point of attack he is a player who can be counted on to make an instant impact on defense. While Winovich isnr17;t the prototypical size for a 4-3 defense, he is close in size to Khalil Mack (6r17;3r1; 255) and blew up the combine with excellent scores all around. Landing a player like Winovich in the 2nd round would be a great consolation prize should the Raiders decide to go in other directions away from edge rusher in round 1.Anthony Nelson, Iowa, Round 3-4Nelson is a player who doesnr17;t get enough love. At 6r17;7r1;, 270lbs, he towers over most linemen and uses his 83 inch wingspan to knock blockers back. Nelson isnr17;t the flashy speed rusher that some others are in this draft, but he can get it done with the bull rush and an already developed inside counter.When it comes to defending the run, Nelson is a tough man to block and will bully tackles who get in his way.Coming from the Iowa Hawkeyes, a program well known for churning out plug and play NFL players, Nelson is capable of starting in year 1. Coming into the combine, evaluators downplayed Nelsonr17;s athleticism but he did after posting combine numbers that place him in the top tier of defensive lineman from a testing perspective its a tough sell to say the big man from Iowa isnr17;t talented enough to replicate his success in the NFL.Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan, Round 5Crosby gained steam after a strong combine. Not only did he weigh in at a hair under 6r17;5r1; and 255 lbs, he posted elite to great numbers across athletic testing notably a 6.89 3-cone drill and 4.66 40-yard dash. Pro Football Focus knew about him before he made a name for himself in Indianapolis and gave him a top 5 grade among draft eligible defensive ends in 2018.When you watch Crosby on tape you wonr17;t be blown away with his play but you also wonr17;t come away discouraged. He doesnr17;t stand out in any one area and but is solid in just about everything from rushing with speed, power, or defending the run. Against non Power 5 competition, Crosby had great production notching 2 impact plays every game he played in (sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, or pass deflection) tying him for 9th among draft eligible defensive ends. He has the physical traits to develop into a starting defensive end but that likely wonr17;t happen right away.Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T, Round 6-7From the same school where the Raiders selected offensive tackle Brandon Parker in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL draft, Johnson could be the second player taken from the small school.Indeed the Raiders are doing their homework on him and were one of 13 team in attendance at his pro day.Itr17;s safe to say the small school defensive end is primed to be taken in the NFL draft. At 6-6 250 lbs, Johnson has the size Paul Guenther covets. He posted 19.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in his final season of college football, proving he can dominate against the lower level of competition. Like Brandon Parker itr17;s probably best for his development if her17;s on the field sparingly as a rookie, but when the Raiders have so little edge defender depth, he would get the reps he needs to develop.
