Quentin Groves: The Raiders Diamond in The Ruff?

Quentin Groves has quickly faded to the back of the minds of most in the NFL, but what if Groves finds fertile ground in Oakland and rekindles the greatness that he exhibited in Auburn?  One word would sum it up the Raider defense….Monstrous.

Groves came out of college heralded by many as one of the best pass rushers in the draft.   Many made note of his explosiveness and attack mentality and was often compared to Dallas’s Demarcus Ware.  He tied the career sack record at Auburn (26) and recorded 38 tackles, even though he missed two games due to injury.   

Groves was named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and The Ted Hendricks Award preseason watch lists.  Even Sports Illustrated listed him at 9th in the top 10 players in the SEC.  Some had Groves going late in the 1^st round.  Clearly, it is apparent that he is a talented player.

With very high expectations, Jacksonville drafted Quentin Groves in the second round.  He has yet to deliver the goods.  In his short 2 year professional career, Groves has only recorded 35 tackles and 2.5 sacks. 

Standing at 6’3” 264lbs, Groves ran a 4.6 in the 40, yet in Jacksonville he had difficulty getting past OTs.  He really hasn’t been a shadow of the skills that he displayed in college.

In exchange for a 5^th round pick in the 2010 draft, Groves arrives in Oakland.  Being in the league for only 2 years, the Jags may have given up on him to early.

The Raiders are notorious for taking a player that other teams don’t want, and making them into superstars.  I’m not quite sure if Groves could be a superstar, but he has a tremendous amount of talent and loads of potential.  If he is a part of the current buzz that is developing  in Oakland, and begins to flourish into the player he was drafted to be, the Raiders’ defense, which is already looking the best it has in years, would be… Monstrous.