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Analyzing Raiders DL Jihad Ward’s Nightmare Rookie Season

There wasn’t a happier Oakland Raiders fan than I was to see Jihad Ward selected in the second round. Articles, time, and space devoted to his potential reigned during summer. On the other hand, I wasn’t ready to watch the rookie make zero impact. For that reason, Jihad Ward’s 2016 was a complete disaster.

Talent Isn’t Enough: Ward tested well in postseason workouts and caught the eye of scouts. Although this may be true, his skillset did not translate to the field. While talented, Ward isn’t a supremely elite athlete. There isn’t an outstanding characteristic to his game. The toolbox is full, but nothing dominant resides in it. At times, Ward looked to attempt to overwhelm massive linemen when he isn’t strong enough. Or, he’d try to finesse a technical center. Football is a game of utilizing your strengths while exploiting opponents weaknesses. Comparison stats: Oakland Raiders DT Stacy McGee registered 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 416 fewer snaps.


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Nice Guy: Ward appears as a congenial, friendly player off the field. In 2016, he played that way. Lining up on the defensive line is a study of controlled aggression, anger and intermiitent bursts of violence. Ward’s gentleness became a point of emphasis for opposing offenses. This summer, Kelechi Osemele and Ward exchanged punches during practice. RaiderNation thought that would energize him. Not at all. When the first game started, ward regressed into the meek player some thought he way. Solution: As barbaric as this sounds, Ward needs to manhandle an opponent to the point of an ejection. No one needs to suffer injury, but show a sign of alertness. Or, Ward can watch a healthy Mario Edwards feast on the competition.

To summarize, is it possible to lose faith after a poor rookie season? Unfortunately, Ward showed next to nothing in 2016. RaiderNation wants him to succeed. Yet, worry grows among the loyal that his pick in the second round will ultimately fail. However, with another year, the hope is that he evolves. Right now, that is all fans have with Jihad Ward: hope.

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