Raiders: 5 late-round gems to target in the 2020 NFL Draft

5. Carter Coughlin, EDGE, Minnesota

While edge rusher may not be on the top of the list of the Raiders’ needs, it is definitely one of their needs. At 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, Carter Coughlin was deployed as a stand-up rusher in Minnesota’s 3-4 defense.

Coughlin only racked up 4.5 sacks as a senior, but despite that, his pass-rush win rate was typically a high percentage in games and he has some intriguing attributes.

His get-off is great, consistently beating his man off the snap with his first step and winning the outside on tackles. Once you beat your man off the edge, you typically need bend to turn the corner and get the right angle to the quarterback.

And while Coughlin flashed some bend, he does not utilize it enough. Instead, he uses his length to create space and keep the lineman off of him when trying to get the inside leverage.

While I mentioned he uses his length as a pass rusher, he does not use it at the point of attack when playing the run. His ability to hold the edge is the biggest weakness in his game.

He is weak at the point of attack and will be eaten up and overpowered if he lets the lineman get up into him. Coughlin definitely needs to add strength and maybe that part of his game will get better as a result.

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Back to his pass-rushing ability, Coughlin has a nice spin move which he usually utilizes at the end of his rushes. His rush plan is also a strength as he always has a counter when his initial move doesn’t work.

That coupled with his high motor is what you want in guys that have work to do. If a player is relentless on the field, he is probably relentless off the field and in the weight room trying to get better.

As a 3-4 outside linebacker, Coughlin was tasked with dropping back into coverage at times and looked comfortable doing so. He is a good athlete so that isn’t surprising.

I’ve read scouting reports saying that he may need to transition to an off-ball linebacker, so his potential in coverage is a plus if that does become the case.

That being said, I like his potential as a pure speed-rusher and think any team that drafts him should try an develop him there.

Even if he fills out his frame and gets stronger, he will never be a power guy, but if he can play better against the run he may not be a guy that you can only put on the field in obvious passing downs, which is how he projects as of now.

Coughlin may not be the best scheme fit, but in the late rounds, you aren’t going to find many two-way players.

Despite the fact that he isn’t a base 4-3 end that can play with his hands in the dirt, he could potentially provide some pass rush in sub-packages that the Raiders desperately need.

NFL Comparison: Kamalei Correa, OLB, Tennessee Titans