Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: S Lance Wise Jr., Mercer
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking for young talent to fill their roster through the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Raiders made Antonio Pierce their permanent head coach on Friday. Once they find a general manager and build out Pierce’s offensive staff, they can evaluate prospects that fit their culture and system.
The Raiders will aim to make the postseason in 2024 after an encouraging finish to the 2023 season. Las Vegas maybe just a few pieces away on both sides of the ball from being a playoff team.
One of those players could be Mercer safety Lance Wise Jr. The undersized defensive back was named a consensus first-team FCS All-American this year, after an impressive career with the Bears.
Wise finished his Bears career with 320 total tackles, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles, and 11 interceptions. He had five interceptions in 2023 alone. Wise was not invited to the Shrine Bowl or the Senior Bowl.
Could the Las Vegas Raiders get a steal in the 2024 NFL Draft in Mercer safety Lance Wise Jr.?
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
When watching Wise on tape, he stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs 195 pounds, making him one of the most undersized safeties in the draft class. However, he plays much bigger than his stature. Wise is fearless on tape, not afraid to throw his body around in the run game and get physical over the middle with receivers.
One of Wise’s top traits is his high IQ. He is constantly around the football, diagnosing plays in both the run and pass. He is the type of player who makes general managers happy they selected him on the draft's third day.
While Wise plays bigger than his size, his stature does limit his ceiling. He is also not the best athlete, often taking poor angles to the ball carrier and not having the recovery speed to catch up to them. He can identify the play, but he may not be able to make it in time.
The other concern with Wise will be the potential jump from FCS play to the NFL. Players have made that jump before, but it is a difficult one. It would have been helpful for Wise to have been invited to either of the draft’s bowl games so he could have proven himself among the rest of the draft prospects.
Wise has the intangibles to be successful in the NFL but could be limited physically. The Raiders could capitalize on Wise’s intelligence and relentless motor if they want to bolster their secondary.
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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