Oakland Raiders: Grading the 2019 NFL Draft class
By Justin Fried
Round 4 (137th Overall) — Foster Moreau, TE, LSU
After trading back multiple times, it was a bit confusing to see the Raiders wait as long as they did to address the tight end position. But they were able to snag a player in the fourth round who should play a sizable role in their offense moving forward in Foster Moreau.
Moreau was used heavily as a blocker while at LSU, particularly in pass protection where he excelled as a pseudo-sixth offensive lineman. In that regard, Moreau could be lined up on the wing next to a player like Kolton Miller to help him out in pass protection, something he struggled with during his rookie season.
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That said, it’s fair to question whether this was the best pick to make in this spot. In a seemingly corresponding move, the Raiders opted to release veteran blocking tight end Lee Smith not too long after the draft meaning that they likely see Moreau as a younger replacement for Smith’s role.
With Darren Waller representing the only true receiving threat at the tight end position, it’s fair to wonder how exactly the Raiders tight end group is going to look in 2019. But it does look as though Moreau is going to be the primary blocking tight end and who knows, perhaps Oakland will be able to unlock some additional receiving ability that we didn’t see during his time at LSU.
For now, however, it does seem like the team has mismanaged the tight end position a little.