The Raiders did not pick once in the NFL Draft until pick No. 90. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t and won’t get a lot of production out of their rookie class. But what rookie could play a surprising number of snaps this season?
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he named a few rookies that could have significant impacts for the Raiders this season. That list included none other than Neil Farrell, who was drafted in the fourth round by Las Vegas.
Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the player and how he could fit into their defense this season:
“At 6’4″ and 330 pounds, the 23-year-old is a brick wall of a defender who swallows up ball-carriers at the point of attack. Last season alone, he tallied 45 tackles, 20 solo stops and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Those numbers suggest he isn’t just a space-eater though, with his frame, he can certainly be that.
While he might not have the upside of a perennial All-Pro, he has the tools needed to contribute immediately and for a long time. Expect Farrell to work in early on running downs to help improve a defense that ranked 19th in rushing yards allowed last season.”
As Knox mentioned, the Raiders finished 19th in run defense last season. But they were actually far worse when it mattered the most. They just couldn’t get stops when they needed them and far too often, teams were able to control the line of scrimmage against the interior defensive line of the Raiders.
Farrell likely won’t be a Day 1 starter for the Raiders, but he should play plenty of snaps as a rotational run-defender. And if Johnathan Hankins were to miss time, Farrell would step in as the starter.
The Raiders have a lot of depth on the interior defensive line right now, but Farrell should be able to find a role pretty quickly this season. They are desperately lacking a run-stopping nose tackle and that’s precisely what he can do well.