6 Hidden Gems the Oakland Raiders Should Have Noticed at the Combine
The Oakland Raiders find themselves with another top-five pick in the upcoming draft. Whoever they end up selecting, it's crucial that they get it right. But for a team so short on reliable talent, Oakland's selections later in the draft will be just as important.
Selections in the first two rounds are the easy part. There are no guarantees, but these players are more of a known quantity. The key is finding those hidden gems later in the draft, and the NFL combine provides the perfect opportunity to separate the true prospects from the pretenders.
Oakland knocked it out of the park last year with post-Round 2 selections that included Gabe Jackson (third round), Justin Ellis (fourth round) and TJ Carrie (seventh round). All three players went on to play important roles as starters in their rookie seasons.
For the Raiders, the challenge is to once again find immediate contributors throughout the draft. The team has to look beyond the big names and find under-appreciated talent in unexpected places.
Here's a look at six prospects the Raiders need to take a much closer look at in preparation for the draft.
Anthony Chickillo
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According to one NFC director of scouting (via NFL.com), "[Anthony Chickillo] doesn't have a position as far as I can tell ... He's just caught between positions and there isn't anything that he does really well." This is an impression shared by some throughout the league given the perception that Chickillo lacks any special traits: He's not particularly fast, quick or strong.
But he was able disprove those notions with his performance at the combine.
| Drill | Performance | Rank Among Defensive Linemen |
| 40-yard Dash | 4.79 seconds | t-6th |
| Bench Press | 27 reps | t-13th |
| Vertical Jump | 34.5 inches | 7th |
| Broad Jump | 114 inches | t-12th |
| 3-Cone Drill | 7.17 seconds | 4th |
| 20-yard Shuffle | 4.25 seconds | 4th |
He finished in the top 15 in every drill he participated in including four top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes. He proved to be one of the most well-rounded athletes at his position.
At 6'3" and 273 pounds, he has the build of an NFL defensive end. He also has experience playing defensive tackle, adding some versatility to his game. And despite the preconceived notion that there's nothing particularly special about him, he showed that he's an above-average athlete, exhibiting good speed, quickness and strength. He has the physical tools to be effective on the edge.
The Raiders are severely thin on talent along the defensive line. Aside from Justin Tuck and Justin Ellis, the team doesn't have dependable performers. Bringing in Chickillo would add athleticism to the unit while giving the coaching staff some more options.
Ali Marpet
2 of 6
Oakland's situation with free agent Stefen Wisniewski remains unsettled, and there aren't any signs that it's going to get better. According to SFBay's Jason Leskiw, Wisniewski wants "to be paid like a top center." The Raiders think otherwise, and the stats back them up. Pro Football Focus graded Wisniewski out as an average center, ranking 16th in the NFL at the position (via Leskiw).
This puts the Raiders in the market for a starting center, and Ali Marpet should be one of their targets.
There are some obvious questions regarding Marpet, the biggest of which is experience. He didn't allow a single sack in 2014. But that was while playing for Hobart College, a Division III school, where he faced schools like Dickinson College, Endicott College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He's going to have to make a huge jump in competition.
But the physical tools are there. He had the fastest 40-yard time among offensive linemen (4.98 seconds). More importantly, he had the fastest 10-yard split (1.74). As Andrew Kuhla of 247Sports notes, this is a good indicator of "being explosive off the ball and getting downfield within that 5-to-10 yard range of blocking."
Marpet would also have to make a position change. He was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Statesmen. However, NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock sees him as capable of switching to an interior lineman in the NFL: "He has the ability to be a starting center" (via NFL.com's Mike Huguenin).
He also has potential to play guard, another position of need for the Raiders. With good coaching, Marpet has the skills to become a foundational part of Oakland's O-line.
It could take Marpet some time to get acclimated to the much higher level of competition, but he has the talent to play in the NFL.
Stephone Anthony
3 of 6
As promising as Oakland's linebacking corps is, there's a glaring hole at middle linebacker. Miles Burris is not the answer at the position. And with Nick Roach's career possibly in jeopardy, the Raiders have to start looking at other options.
With playmaking outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Sio Moore on the field, Oakland needs someone to play in between them who can keep up to avoid a weak spot in the middle. Stephone Anthony has the athletic ability to be that player.
He exhibited that athleticism at the combine, posting the seventh-best 3-cone drill time (7.07 seconds), third-best 40-yard dash time (4.56 seconds) and second-best 20-yard shuttle time (4.03 seconds) among all linebackers.
He has experience playing on the inside, so he understands how to play from the middle of the field. He also showed that he has the quickness and speed to both drop into coverage and cover a lot of ground to defend from sideline to sideline.
These are necessary skills for inside linebackers in the NFL, and he exhibited them at the combine by showing excellent straight-line speed and lateral quickness.
Expecting a rookie to step in at middle linebacker and run the defense on day one is probably asking too much, but that can be learned. What can't be taught is the required athleticism, and Anthony has that.
He has the capability of being a depth linebacker right away. More importantly, he has the potential to work his way into the starting lineup at one of the Oakland defense's weakest positions.
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Chris Conley
4 of 6
How much does a player's performance in college have to do with his potential in the NFL? That's the question Chris Conley has everyone asking after his performance at the combine.
After four unremarkable years at Georgia, Conley was considered a long shot to be drafted at all. He never had more than 45 receptions in a season (junior year), and his senior year was his best, finishing with 36 catches for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
But the combine doesn't just give NFL teams an opportunity to scout players. It also gives players like Conley an opportunity to show what they're truly capable of, and he took full advantage of the big stage.
NFL Network analyst Brian Billick noted that Conley made a "very good first impression." And according to College Football 24/7's Bryan Fischer, "Chris Conley is going to be a sneaky good pick for somebody and have a much better NFL career than CFB one."
At 6'3" and 205 pounds, he has ideal size. More importantly, he showed in his workouts that he has the physical ability to put it to use at the next level as he had one of the best all-around performances among all wide receivers.
| Drill | Performance | Rank Among Wide Receivers |
| 40-yard Dash | 4.35 seconds | t-3rd |
| Bench Press | 18 | 4th |
| Vertical Jump | 45 inches | 1st |
| Broad Jump | 139 inches | 1st |
The question the Raiders have to answer is simple: Why didn't that physical ability produce better results in college?
Conley has a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to cleaning up his route running and figuring out a way to take advantage of his abilities on the field. But he would add depth and danger to Oakland's thin receiving corps late in the draft.
Byron Jones
5 of 6
Out of all of the prospects who performed at the combine, perhaps none made a bigger impression than cornerback Byron Jones.
He finished ranked in the top five among all defensive backs in the five drills that he participated in, but he was most impressive in the standing broad jump. He set what's believed to be a combine record with a 147-inch leap. He also ranked first in the 60-yard shuttle (10.98 seconds) and in the vertical jump (44.5 inches).
However, he didn't run the 40-yard dash. How he does in this drill at his pro day will be crucial considering how important straight-line speed is for a cornerback in the NFL. But he did exhibit excellent lateral movement and the ability to go up and make a play on the ball at its highest point.
Perhaps even more impressive than Jones' performance is his attitude, which is the kind the Raiders should be looking for.
Despite his excellent all-around performance, he said afterwards that "at the end of the day, the film is what is most important." He added, "You've got to have good film, so I'm relying on that." He understands that the true measure of his physical tools is how he can make use of them on the football field.
The Raiders have no plans to bring back veterans Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, instead going with players like D.J. Hayden and TJ Carrie. The team has embraced the youth movement at cornerback, and Jones would be a great addition to the unit.
Jeremy Langford
6 of 6
While new head coach Jack Del Rio has yet to name a starting running back, there are a few things we know: Latavius Murray is the leading candidate for the job, Darren McFadden is highly unlikely to be re-signed, and Maurice Jones-Drew is a long shot to return. That leaves Oakland with one running back and a very thin backfield.
Oakland has to find a capable performer to complement Murray. Jeremy Langford could be a perfect fit.
Langford isn't known for his physical running style, instead preferring to bounce his runs to the outside. That's not a bad idea considering he ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.42 seconds, the fastest among all running backs. Still, he would benefit from adding more physicality to his game.
But that's not what Langford would be asked to do in Oakland. He could instead be the change-of-pace back to complement Murray, who's shown he can have success both on the outside and between the tackles.
Langford also played wide receiver and cornerback while at Michigan State because of his good hands. He's a dangerous receiver out of the backfield, making himself an even more dangerous offensive weapon.
He won't be an every-down back, but he won't have to be. He can instead play a role similar to the one Darren Sproles has played throughout his career. The Oakland coaches could put Langford in situations that get him into the open field where he'll be able make use of his speed and elusiveness. Doing so would add a whole other level of danger to the Raiders offense.
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