One Raiders Player Who Dodged Major Draft-Day Bullet

The Las Vegas Raiders have had an extremely productive offseason. After using free agency to plug several holes on their roster with proven talent, the Raiders used the NFL Draft to address other, but equally important, needs elsewhere. These moves have led to roster questions.

Raiders' Draft

Las Vegas added 10 players in the NFL Draft who each should have a legitimate shot at playing time sooner rather than later. The Raiders used the draft to add depth that should pay off immediately and in the long term. It is hard not to like the job Las Vegas' front office has done on its roster.

Although those additions have improved their roster, adding players can mean moving on from others. The Raiders' front office made precise roster moves, which naturally leads to questions about players already on the roster at those positions.

Several players already on the Raiders' roster faced the inevitable questions that come with a new coaching staff. For many of the players on Las Vegas' roster, the Raiders' current General Manager, John Spytek, and head coach Klint Kubiak were not around when they joined.

A new regime determined to rebuild one of the worst rosters in recent league memory has easily put many players' futures with the team in doubt. Some have already left, with teams trimming rosters later this offseason, and more will be gone soon. It is a part of the business.

Multiple Players Dodge Bullets

Normally, it would be easy to pinpoint a player or two that dodged bullets in the draft, but the Raiders added so much talent across the board that there are several arguments that could be made. Several position groups were upgraded in what was a productive draft for Las Vegas.

However, their moves in the draft, in conjunction with those in free agency, essentially protected an entire position group. Nearly every reserve linebacker the Raiders have on their roster dodged a bullet after the Raiders added 10 new players via the draft.

Aside from recently signed linebacker Segun Olubi, every reserve linebacker on the roster dodged a bullet. The team's free-agent spending and the addition of Olubi were enough of an investment in the position group for the Raiders' front office not to draft an additional linebacker.

The Raiders are set at starting linebacker after the respective additions of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. However, behind those two are several unproven players at arguably the most critical position on any defense. It could be argued that the Raiders still need more depth at linebacker.

The Raiders had 10 draft picks and did not use one on a linebacker. This is proof that they feel they invested heavily enough in the position in free agency not to have to do so in the draft. The investments in the position, and not adding to it in the draft, spared their reserve linebackers.

Drafting another linebacker after the investments made in free agency would have been bad news for Las Vegas' group of reserve linebackers. Linebackers are critical not just for their contributions on defense but also for their role in the league's ever-changing special teams landscape.

There are multiple reserve linemen on the Raiders' roster. Essentially, all of them dodged a bullet because of the Raiders' moves in the draft and free agency. Also, the roster's needs were so great at other positions that Las Vegas' productive draft did not put many players in danger.

It has been an impressive offseason for the Raiders. Their haul of 10 draft picks, who should develop at different rates but will each become contributors over time, will one day be viewed as a critical part of the team's resurgence.

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