I always laugh when there are mock drafts submitted well before free agency because what might seem obvious draft-wise can quickly change with the splash of some cash. Before free agency, the Las Vegas Raiders had a fully intact offensive line and needed an impact pass rusher. After? They had a dismantled offensive line and added Yannick Ngakoue, leading us to the offensive tackle section of our series.
As of today, it seems like a guarantee that the Raiders will pick themselves the right tackle of the future on either Day 1 or Day 2, and the good news is that this tackle class is a deep one that could yield a starter even at pick No. 79 or 80. But what if the Raiders were to target their right tackle at pick No. 17? Surely Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater will be off the board, which leaves three guys as potential answers…
Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC
Big board ranks: No. 14 (McShay), No. 13 (Brugler), No. 10 (Kiper)
Height: 6’4″ (OT: 17th percentile, G: 57th)
Weight: 308 (OT: 34th, G: 40th)
Arm: 32 1/8 (OT: 3rd, G: 11th)
Vertical: 32 (OT: 87th, G: 90th)
Broad: 106 (OT: 60th, G: 69th)
Bench: 36 reps (OT: 98th, G: 96th)
40-yard: 5.10 (OT: 73rd, G: 77th)
Short shuttle: 4.61 (OT: 76th, G: 74th)
3-cone: 7.65 (OT: 66th, G: 65th)
Measurements Analysis: The number that jumps out here is the arm length, as those are the arms of a guard and not a tackle. The rest of the numbers are good but not great. Hard to imagine Vera-Tucker being the answer at right tackle after these numbers came out.
Tape Analysis: I watched tape of Vera-Tucker against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game to see how he would fare against Kayvon Thibodeaux, who will be a first-round pick a year from now, and came away really impressed. Thibodeaux started on the left and actually moved away from Vera-Tucker early on after having limited success. Of the three, he offered the most consistent tape.
Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Big board ranks: No. 30 (McShay), No. 17 (Brugler), No. 23 (Kiper)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 314
Measurements Analysis: Darrisaw opted not to measure at his pro day, only going through positional drills.
Tape Analysis: This was the first time I really got to watch Darrisaw, and I came away very impressed. 90% of the time, Darrisaw was dominant in the film I saw — man-handling defenders and getting himself exactly where he wants to be. The 10%, however, was concerning. It didn’t feel like a lack of talent or ability, but rather that he lacks the focus to stay dialed in for the entirety of a game — or maybe it’s a lack of a “killer instinct,” as some scouting reports have pointed out. It’s also worth noting that he played exclusively left tackle in his three years of college ball, not missing a game either of his last two seasons. PFF had him ranked as the highest run-blocking and pass-blocking grade last season among Power 5 schools, despite facing some high-level competition in the ACC.
Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
Big board ranks: No. 27 (McShay), No. 20 (Brugler), NR (Kiper)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 317
Hand: 9 /12
Arm: 33 1/2
Wing: 81
40-yard: 5.01
Vertical: 32.5
Broad: 8-10
Short-shuttle: 4.66
3-Cone: 7.72
Bench: 36
Measurement Analysis: Arm length is another one to watch here, as Jenkins comes in below where you’d like your tackles to be despite his massive frame. Ideally, tackles have at least 34″ arms, but Jenkins is a half-inch short of that number — will that turn some teams off? On the positive side, Jenkins is the size the Raiders are looking for — and a 5.01 40 time is nothing to laugh at either. Add in 36 reps on the bench press, and you’ve got a pretty intriguing player here.
Tape Analysis: On tape, Jenkins looks the part of a Day 1 starter at right tackle. PFF had him as the second-best run-blocking right tackle over the past three seasons, and his pass-blocking score was also impressive; he just didn’t have enough one-on-one pass sets to qualify. That second piece is a tad bit alarming — why did Oklahoma State refuse to leave him on an island so often? Keep in mind this was in the Big 12, which doesn’t boast many of the top pass-rushers in the country.
Verdict
- Christian Darrisaw — PICK
- Teven Jenkins — PASS
- Alijah Vera-Tucker — PASS
Not the rankings I expected before looking at the tape and examining measurements! The arm-length on Vera-Tucker and Jenkins scares me, and while Jenkins might be close enough to make it work, he’s right on the edge of my pick/pass line. For now, he’s on the “pass” side, although that could change. Vera-Tucker is a guard, and I’d wait on that position. That leaves Darrisaw, who I was most impressed with on tape as far as size and potential — something the Raiders seem to value when it comes to their tackles. There is concern about him moving to the right, so you’d have to trust Tom Cable to make it work — not to mention we don’t actually have arm-length numbers for him (although some reports have his arms as 34.5″). Assuming they are comfortable with his arm-length based on tape, Darrisaw would be the second tackle on my board behind Penei Sewell.
