This week the Raiders opened up a spot on the practice squad with the signing of CB Sam Webb. They have filled that spot with the addition of tackle Gottlieb Ayedze.
Ayedze was originally signed this offseason by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland. He landed on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List heading into camp and never got a foothold before being waived at the final roster cutdown.
The 6-4, 308-pounder spent his first four college seasons as the full time starting left tackle at Frostburg State. He then transferred to Maryland as a fifth-year Senior and started nine games at right tackle for the Terrapins last season and was named Honorable Mention All BigTen.
In the leadup to the draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler put a mid-round grade on Ayedze. Here was his scouting report from his BEAST Draft Guide:
STRENGTHS: Offers functional size, strength and length for NFL trench play … doesn’t labor out of his stance and widens out mid-slide to help cut off cornering edge rushers … well-timed punch centers his target, but he can also recover and refit if his reach gets knocked away … has enough power in his upper half to turn and dump overeager blitzers, using their momentum against them … lateral quicks show on backside pulls and when working up on com bo blocks … shows adequate range when advancing on screens … keeps his head/eyes on a swivel to locate and react to extra pressures … a false start on t he Illinois tape was his only penalty in his lone FBS season…played primarily left tackle and right tackle over his career, but he also looked comfortable with his guard reps (19.3 percent of his 2023 offensive snaps came at right guard).
WEAKNESSES: More smooth than explosive as an athlete … needs to do a better job staying balanced in space to answer two -way rushers … improved sink at contact will help strengthen his anchor when responding to bull rushers … shows a little too much give when absorbing contact, allowing rushers to pry their way free … leans into his blocks in the run game but would like to see better leg drive and nastiness … core strength could use adjustments, s o he can better access power from different parts of his body … hand placement at the end of pulls tends to be inconsistent … only one season against top compe tition at the FBS level … missed the first two games of the 2023 season because of injury.
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Maryland, Ayedze played predominantly right tackle in offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ RPO-heavy, multiple-run scheme. Despite only playing football for six years (one year of high school, four in Division II and one season in the Big Ten), he played well with the Terps, and several NFL teams bumped his draft grade between the summer and end of the 2023 season. Although he can use improved hip roll in the run game t o create displacement, Ayedze is efficient out of his stance and on the move, staying patient in pass protection to mirror rushers in smaller spaces. He started only one game at guard in 2023, but it came against Illinois — and he more than held his own against potential first-rounder Jer’Zhan Newton. Overall, Ayedze doesn’t have overwhelming size and needs to prove himself against NFL power, but he plays with control and several baseline traits that will translate well. He projects as a developmental guard who can play tackle in a pinch.
GRADE: 5th-6th Round
Most likely the Raiders liked Ayedze coming out of the draft, but their board took them elsewhere. The Raiders had already added a guard and a tackle on day two and once the draft was over had hoped to get Ayedze as an undrafted free agent, but the Eagles got him instead.
Ayedze’s injury never really gave him a chance to prove he belonged. Now healthy again, the will have that chance with the Raiders.