2017 Raiders Draft: Two Defenders With Red Flags to Avoid
Every year, there is a handful of potential NFL Draft picks enter with red flags. They range from breaking the law to having a questionable motor or sometimes both. Sometimes teams will pass on young players like this and they turn out to be the next Vontaze Burfict, the talented but troubled Inside Linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. Teams like the Bengals seem to draft like this all the time and most of the time they succeed. Other teams will steer clear of players like this Not having your motor running the whole time during the game, I will never understand. The Raiders need talent, but not at the price of cohesion.
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Oakland General Manager, Reggie McKenzie shows the willingness to draft guys with some of these red flags but until later in the draft. Such as Stacey McGee (Now of the Washington Redskins) and Shelby Harris (Currently with the Denver Broncos), and Jonathan Dowling (Now with the Buffalo Bills) come to mind. These are some of the players that Reggie McKenzie should be mindful of drafting but especially drafting early.
Malik McDowell, DT/DE Michigan State
If you see Malik McDowell getting of the team bus, you would think this monster would dominate the whole game. At 6’6 and 296lbs, he is a mountain of a man. He had good combine numbers for his size posting a 4.85 40 yard dash (JJ Watt ran a 4.84) and throwing up 225lbs 23 times on the bench press. Now mind you, he did have a bad ankle last year, but 1.5 Sacks? You could rush the passer all year and accidentally run into a Quarterback 1.5 times. I see him and I see Robert Nkemdiche, Arizona Cardinal 1st Rounder out of Ole Miss last year. And what happened with Nkemdiche? Landed in Bruce Arians’ dog house.
Tim Williams, DE Alabama
Speaking of Alabama players, Tim Williams is even worse than Cam Robinson. A heck of a lot worse. Tim Williams has failed multiple drug tests at Alabama and was arrested last year for carrying a gun without a permit. Who doesn’t want a guy that can rush the passer? You can never have enough of those. Especially with the poor pass rush the Raider Defense provided after Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. However, a guy with multiple failed drug tests and carrying weapons? Sounds like another Randy Gregory to me. Pass.
As mentioned above, the Raiders need pass rushers. Yet, they’d prefer ones with no issues.
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