INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- As the NFL Scouting Combine wraps up and the NFL Draft quickly approaches, the Las Vegas Raiders hope to better understand their prospect evaluation.
The Raiders have a new regime in place in Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco as those two look to bring in talent and strengthen the culture Pierce established last season.
As a former Super Bowl-winning player with the New York Giants, Pierce knows what it takes for a defensive player to be a winner at the next level. The former linebacker will look to identify the best talent in the class at the position he once played.
One of those players could be North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray. A two-time First-Team All-ACC member, Gray was one of the standout players at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in February.
“I think the Senior Bowl was a huge opportunity to kind of compete with the best players in the country, and I feel like I came out of that feeling like I competed very, very well,” he told me at the NFL Scouting Combine. “It was a huge honor to be there and meet guys, learn from NFL coaches at the Senior Bowl, so it was definitely a great experience.”
Gray also told me he has yet to meet with the Raiders but would love the opportunity to play for Pierce.
“That’s a legendary player right there, so it would definitely be an honor to get drafted there and play there,” he said.
Gray finished his Tar Heels career with 368 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, 13 passes defended, and eight and a half sacks. While the inside linebacker class has little top-end talent, Gray is one of the best in the group.
Gray is an elite athlete, something that is essential for linebackers in a modern defense. He can play inside linebacker but is also comfortable rushing off the edge if needed. Gray is best defending the run, using his IQ and tenacity to make plays on ball carriers.
Gray must prove he can be a three-down defender in the NFL. He is small for a linebacker, which may cause him to be overwhelmed by the physicality of the league. He may not be playable if he cannot stay on the field.
Gray is projected to be a fourth-round selection. If the Raiders want to add an athletic, intelligent, tenacious linebacker to stop the run, Gray could provide excellent depth to that group.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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