Oakland Raiders: A Few Possible First Round Draft Targets

Reuben Foster (ILB)

It’s probably a pipe dream to think that Foster is going to be on the board when the Raiders are on the clock. But hey, stranger things have happened.

The Raiders desperately need some help in their front seven. They need an inside linebacker who can dominate both against the run and the pass. And Foster seems to fit the bill quite nicely.

Projected as a first rounder – and generally considered the best inside linebacker in the Draft – the 6’1”, 236 pounder notched 115 tackles (60 solo), 13 for a loss, five sacks, and a pair of passes defensed for an Alabama team that narrowly lost to Clemson in the National Championship Game.

According to many scouts, the All-American and Butkus Award winner’s greatest attribute is his explosiveness and sideline-to-sideline speed. They also note his aggressive style of play and the violent impact of his collisions as positive attributes.

He’s an intelligent player with a solid reputation in pass coverage – something the Raiders could absolutely use, given their lack of an inside linebacker capable of helping shut down the other team’s short passing game in recent seasons.

It is also worth noting, that some scouts believe he can play a little too aggressively at times and get himself out of position.

His positives outweigh his negatives by a wide margin, though. And those negatives are something that can be addressed with some solid coaching.

Bottom line, if Foster somehow falls to 24 – or if McKenzie is willing to do the uncharacteristic thing and trade up – the Raiders absolutely need to pull the trigger and take this kid.