Raiders view late-round rookie in ‘athlete’ type role

Throughout the scouting process, Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott came across as an interesting case.

Despite Mellott leading the Bobcats to four FCS playoff berths and winning the Walter Payton Award for best offensive player in the FCS, most scouts questioned if there was a place for the five-foot-eleven quarterback. His pre-draft workouts, however, raised plenty of eyebrows, running a 4.39 second 40-yard dash and jumping a 41-inch vertical and 10 feet, four inch broad. That type of athleticism is the stuff of dreams for NFL scouts, who started to see Mellott’s potential as an offensive weapon in different capacities.

The Las Vegas Raiders swooped in to land him in the sixth round, and they are excited to see the possibilities Mellott can bring to their offense.

Mellott stands to serve as a Swiss army knife for the Raiders, assuming he makes the roster.

According to Raiders college scouting director Brandon Yeargen, Mellott’s Julian Edelman-esque role as a quarterback-turned-receiver may be just the beginning of how the team plans to implement him into the lineup.

“I wouldn’t pigeonhole him right now,” Yeargan said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I would say we view him as a receiver that’s going to have a lot of value in the kicking game, potentially as a returner, as a cover player, maybe play some quarterback, too. We’re looking (at him) really as an athlete/receiver, but he’s a unique guy.”

Despite the Raiders drafting two receivers in Jack Bech (second round) and Dont’e Thornton Jr. (fourth round) before selecting Mellott, giving the converted quarterback the opportunity to test his mettle on special teams could go a long way towards locking down a coveted 53-man roster spot. To his credit, it sounds as though the man known as “Touchdown Tommy” is ready to prove himself.

“My entire career in college, to be honest with you, has kind of been a do-it-all individual as well,” Mellott said. “And so that’s what I’m going to be about when I get down to Las Vegas, is just a do-it-all kind of guy who’s going to obviously perfect his craft, whatever is expected of me, and do that and more.”

While most teams did have a similar idea of Mellott, the Raiders have a unique advantage in being able to implement it.

Minority owner Tom Brady saw firsthand what it took to convert Edelman, a quarterback at Kent State, to become one of the most reliable receivers he ever played with. Perhaps Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll thought the same thing when they decided to draft Mellott. With Brady’s input, the Raiders have the chance to open the playbook dramatically and use Mellott as a true gadget player, taking advantage of his athleticism in various aspects of play.

The Raiders have a clear template in place for Mellott’s development, and they have the infrastructure in place to maximize his potential.