Raiders Draft Prospect: LB JD Bertrand, Notre Dame
The Las Vegas Raiders made strides during the 2023 season when Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach.
The Raiders played like one of the best defensive teams in the league in Pierce’s interim tenure. Pierce’s leadership inspired excellent play from the team, so much so that they made him the permanent head coach.
The Raiders will try to build on that momentum going into the 2024 season. They have already started that process by landing one of the biggest free agents: defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
It’s a start, but there is still more work to do if the Raiders want to return to the postseason. They still have positions to address, and they can do so through the 2024 NFL Draft.
One of those positions is linebacker, and they could add Notre Dame’s JD Bertrand in the later rounds. Bertrand had extensive college experience, playing in 40 games for the Fighting Irish.
The Las Vegas Raiders could add Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand to their defense in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Bertrand finished his collegiate career with 267 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, nine passes defended, and five and a half sacks. He also has lots of winning experience, appearing in several bowl games throughout his career.
Bertrand was a captain for an excellent Notre Dame defense, leading a unit that finished fifth in the country in total defense.
Bertrand stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 235 pounds. He has a broad upper body with a muscular frame. He looks the part of an NFL linebacker on film.
What stands out most about Bertrand on tape are his instincts. Bertrand is constantly around the football making plays in the run game. While he may not have the top-tier athleticism or size of a prototypical NFL linebacker, he can recognize plays and make stops like any of the top prospects.
However, that lack of athleticism and size may be a problem for him at the next level. He struggles to move east-west and will miss on plays against speedier skill players. This may prevent him from being a three-down linebacker in the NFL.
Bertrand is the type of linebacker who can provide quality depth for a roster, along with special teams contribution. If the Raiders are looking for that type of player late in the draft, Bertrand could be a great fit.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.
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