USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker Could Be Great Prospect for Las Vegas Raiders
On Monday morning, Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven put former USC offensive guard/tackle, Alijah Vera-Tucker in the spotlight as a solid option to be drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders started out the 2020 season with a bang, but fell short the second half of the year.
The Raiders were sitting at 6-3 halfway through the season and playoff contention was looking bright. They were even the only team to give the talented Kansas City Chiefs, their only loss of the season at that time.
But many criticized the Raiders' defense as they struggled to execute strong plays on third downs and in the red zone. Ultimately their inconsistent defense was blamed for their failure to make the playoffs and finish with a 8-8 record.
So while the focus remains re-building the defense for the 2021 NFL draft, the Raiders are also looking for a few fresh offensive lineman to join the lineup on the other side of the ball. Cue USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven, Darin Alexander Baydoun writes, "[Alijah Vera-Tucker is] unique in that he started both at left guard and left tackle during his time as a Trojan, Tucker is a standout guard and tackle prospect. That versatility could work for a team like the Raiders, who could be looking for multiple new starters on the offensive line."
Baydoun went on the write, "tackle Trent Brown and guard Richie Incognito both could be cut candidates after each suffered injury-plagued 2020 seasons. Tucker could potentially fill either of those spots, having been the ninth-ranked guard by Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2019 and the 33rd best tackle last year.
His biggest strength comes in his run blocking, which plays into his experience at guard. For a Raiders team that loves to run the ball, he could fight right into that identity.
Tucker is not considered to be as strong of a pass blocker, which will be important to consider for teams that might make him a full-time tackle. Tucker though has proven to be above average at both guard and tackle, a quality that isn’t easy to find."
Now Alijah Vera-Tucker has been climbing the ranks of mock drafts over the past few weeks, so if that trend continues, it is not certain he would remain available until the Raiders' 17th pick. However, if he doesn't receive a call by the time Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden make their selection, he could be a solid addition to the Black and Silver.
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