Oakland Raiders: Possible First Round Draft Targets After Free Agency

Jarrad Davis (LB – Florida)

Jarrad Davis’ junior season was more impactful than his senior campaign thanks to missing a few games with injury. But after four years at Florida, whoever ends up drafting him is going to get a pretty good, pretty solid linebacker. And if he’s on the board at 24, the Raiders might want to think about being that team.

And with a lot of scouts giving him a late first/early second round grade, it’s entirely possible that he’s there when the Raiders are on the clock.

Most scouts are quick to note Davis’ instinctive awareness and his ability to fly to the ball. He’s good as a downhill runner, but also has the athleticism to get sideline-to-sideline. He’s an above average run defender who can punish a ballcarrier, but he’s also good in space and has shown the ability to do well in coverage.

As an added bonus, his speed and size allow him to be a very effective blitzer. And with Oakland’s need to create a stronger, more fierce pass rush, that could come in pretty handy.

Scouts also note that he is sometimes a little too aggressive and can overpursue on a play. Because he’s fast, he can sometimes outquick himself, which can be problematic. That, and his technique, such as hand-fighting, will need to improve for him to be truly effective at the next level. The good news though, is that all those things are coachable and Davis has proven to be a high character guy who is very coachable.

He could be a solid addition to Oakland’s front seven if he’s there at 24 – which many believe will be the case.