Neiron Ball to the Oakland Raiders: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

When the No. 161 overall pick was announced in the 2015 NFL draft, it seemed like a horrible pick for the Oakland Raiders. However, when you dig a little deeper, there’s something intriguing about Neiron Ball out of Florida.

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Statistics aren’t the entire picture with this particular prospect. Ball’s college resume doesn’t strike you as a player ready to make big contributions in the NFL. However, when assessing his unique attributes—speed, strength, toughness and versatility—there’s a slight chance he makes the 53-man roster for the 2015 season. 

Versatility is a term thrown around very often when describing a player. What the term really means on the NFL level is the ability to flex into different positions and excel in different areas on the field. Ball hasn’t done that on the college level, but he could be a rotational player on the defensive line.

He came into the draft as an outside linebacker, which is a crowded position on the Raiders roster. I’m convinced the coaching staff will attempt to utilize his skill set at defensive end. Ball weighs 236 pounds, and Randy Gregory weighs about 235. That's fairly lightweight for a 4-3 edge-rusher competing against offensive tackles weighing 300-plus pounds.

Ball will need to put on bulk, which isn’t a difficult task when you have unlimited access to great facilities. He already has the strength and speed to beat the line protection. It’s likely that Ken Norton Jr. gives the Florida prospect a shot at becoming the heir to Justin Tuck’s position.

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Tuck, 32, has one more year left on his contract, per Spotrac.com. Unless he has a great 2015 season, I don’t see him back in Oakland, which creates open competition for the spot. Ball could be the project that fills the need. However, he may not make the roster as an outside linebacker; his success will depend on how the Raiders choose to use his attributes.

The pick is still questionable, especially with all the health issues Ball has dealt with in his career. Nonetheless, he’s persevering, and most would root for him like you would D.J. Hayden, but you wonder about his durability. He has the toughness, but will his body allow him to compete? Additionally, there’s no guarantee he excels at a position he hasn't played in college. There are too many questions for optimism here.

Obviously, the idea of a project didn’t scare off the coaching staff. Reggie McKenzie has taken risks with injury-prone players. Hayden is entering a make-or-break year following an injury-riddled start to his NFL career. A fifth-round pick offers less risk, but it’s going to be a major uphill battle for Ball to make the roster.

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He’ll also compete with another draftee, Max Valles. Valles was also listed as a linebacker but possesses a distinct pass-rushing skill set. Ball would be learning the role from scratch, whereas Valles comes in with prior experience out of Virginia. In a very early prediction, Ball fails to rise above a practice squad player.