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Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen the same players mocked to the Raiders in the middle of the first round. The most common player currently projected to be picked by Las Vegas is linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah from Notre Dame. There have been other defensive backs often mentioned with the Raiders, as well, but “JOK” has been the most common selection.
However, we now have a new name to consider as Pro Football Focus recently mocked Michigan EDGE rusher Kwity Paye to the Raiders at No. 17. Paye is a bigger defensive end at 270 pounds, but he is among the quickest pass rushers you will ever see.
In The Athletic’s “Freaks List”, which previews college football’s most athletic players, Paye finished at No. 1. According to Bruce Feldman, Paye is expected to run in the 6.3s in the 3-cone drill. That would set an all-time record for defensive linemen as the fastest current time in 6.75 by 233-pound edge rusher Sutton Smith.
In that previously mentioned mock draft by PFF, here is why Seth Galina believes this could be a perfect pairing:
“Las Vegas could go in a few different directions, but in this scenario, someone with the kind of athleticism that Paye has is hard to pass up. He’s like Rousseau in the sense that he didn’t put it all together in college — although Paye figured it out to a much higher degree — but the burst and quickness can’t be taught, so he’s an automatic first-rounder.”
If the Raiders had the chance to select Paye, he would make a ton of sense in their defense. He can play both EDGE spots and with his speed and quickness, he can get after the quarterback. He doesn’t have the longest arms and he is still learning how to play the position, but his tools and college production should give us hope that he will eventually be able to figure it out.
Paye is thought to be a top-12 pick, but with so many quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive tackles expected to come off the board early, Paye could fall a bit in this draft. He is scheduled to appear at the Senior Bowl next week and he is a player that we will be monitoring as a potential target for the Raiders in the first round.
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