Raiders draft Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera in seventh round of NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders made it an emphasis to focus on defense in the later rounds, which includes adding depth to one important position – the defensive line.The Raiders know that their defensive line outside of Maxx Crosby, needs help. So they grabbed Bryon Young from Alabama of course, and even grabbed another defensive tackle […]
The Las Vegas Raiders made it an emphasis to focus on defense in the later rounds, which includes adding depth to one important position – the defensive line.
The Raiders know that their defensive line outside of Maxx Crosby, needs help. So they grabbed Bryon Young from Alabama of course, and even grabbed another defensive tackle in the seventh round to possibly add depth
In the seventh round with the 231st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders ended up taking Arizona State defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera.
Silvera finished his 2022 season with the Sun Devils with 56 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and four batted passes. Before playing with the Sun Devils in 2022, he played for the Miami Hurricanes for three seasons. Silvera is 6'2" 302 pounds, and has the size to be a good run stopper.
Here is what The Athletic's Dane Brugler thinks about Silvera's weakness:
Spends too much time attached if he doesn’t win with initial quickness … struggles with move-to-move transitions as a pass rusher … needs to add more nuance to his rush plan … can be big boyed by powerful interior blockers who seal and turn him … will guess wrong at times and abandon his gap responsibilities … needs to pull up and avoid the unnecessary penalties (has a few unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on his resume) … underwent right foot surgery as a sophomore after a camp injury (August 2019) and missed the first four games of the 2019 season.
Here is what he thinks about his strengths:
Burly build with adequate length … twitchy first step to fire off the ball … above-average body quickness to threaten gaps and work laterally … rolls his hips into contact with low pads to walk blockers backward with leverage … uses bend to contort his frame to avoid latching hands … his contact balance helps him work through crowded spaces near the pocket … has a natural feel for blocking development to slant, avoid reaches and cut off run tracks … pursues from the backside with effort and burst to close … his 2022 Stanford tape gives evaluators proof that there is more pass rush potential … jovial personality and doesn’t lack for energy on or off the field.
The Raiders made some moves and tried to fix their worst areas. This is a step in the right direction for them having a successful team once again. It always starts in the draft.
