With the 2022 NFL Draft just three weeks away, the Las Vegas Raiders have begun holding their top-30 prospect visits. Each NFL team is given the opportunity to host up to 30 draft prospects, giving them the chance to gauge their fit. This week, the Raiders hosted players they believe might be their first draft pick in Round 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft and throughout the draft.
Offensive Prospects Hoping to Leave Their Mark
On Monday, Las Vegas opened their 2022 visits with WR Danny Gray. Gray is coming out of Southern Methodist University, where he has played at the college level for two seasons. Per ESPN, Gray is coming off a career season with 49 receptions, 803 yards, and nine touchdowns.
Gray’s selling point is his speed. At the NFL combine last month, Gray ran a 4.33 40-yard dash. The Raiders have long been known for having the fastest players on the field, so Gray would be a welcome addition to an improving WR corps.
Mark Davis and the Raiders also hosted a quarterback prospect from Brown University. QB EJ Perry visited the Silver and Black on Wednesday. Perry threw for over 3,000 yards in 2021, with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Perry, the 2021 Shrine Bowl MVP, is expected to be a sixth or seventh-round pick. He would serve as a nice project for head coach Josh McDaniels, who is known to love developing late-round players.
Defensive Prospects Account for Most Visits So Far
Along with two offensive prospects, the Raiders have hosted four defensive NFL hopefuls. These prospects include DL Devonte Wyatt from Georgia. Wyatt, an integral part of Georgia’s championship defense, has been praised for his lower body strength and undeniable power on the field. He is strong as both a run defender and pass rusher with the potential to fit nicely in the Raiders’ defensive rotation.
For years now, Las Vegas has struggled to find multiple reliable cornerbacks. Now, with the loss of CB Casey Hayward Jr., the Raiders are back where they started in trying to find their complement to Trayvon Mullen Jr. and newly-acquired Rock Ya-Sin. This week, they took another step in the right direction as they hosted three cornerback prospects.
CB Cordale Flott of LSU came first. Flott is projected to be a strong backup player in the league, coming off the board in the later rounds. He is regarded as having impressive stamina and discipline, but some concerns accompany his play.
Flott’s size hasn’t impressed many NFL officials as he measures in at 6’0” and 175 lbs. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein suggests that “getting Flott to fill out and grow into his frame should be the top priority for teams taking a chance on him.”
Following Flott was CB Marcus Jones from Houston. Jones has played all four years of college football showing out his speed and instincts. He is projected to one day become a starter in the NFL, but in his early years, his main focus will be on improving his man coverage skills and anticipating offensive direction.
CB Tariq Woolen from the University of Texas at San Antonio rounded out the first batch of visits for the Silver and Black. Woolen is another fast player in this year’s draft, running a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the combine. This time is just .05 seconds slower than the NFL record of 4.21 seconds. Woolen has the potential to be a good fit for the Raiders due to his speed, of course, but also due to his potential to improve leaps and bounds from his current abilities with the right coaching.
The Raiders will continue to host their top-30 prospects over the next few weeks, so be sure to check back as we continue to cover the visits happening in the desert.
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