There’s a reason you may have heard the name Dylan Laube a few times through the first week of Raiders training camp. And it isn’t just because people like to talk about rookies and their potential. He’s been doing work out there on the field in a lot of different areas.
Even though the Raiders selected him in the draft, they waited until the sixth round to pull the trigger. And that’s because playing at a small school comes with questions about the level of competition and therefore how well what you see on film will translate to the pros. It became clear to his coaches quickly that he is answering that question in the affirmative.
“It’s translating,” Antonio Pierce said of his rookie running back. “Sometimes you watch film in college and you say ‘well, the guy played at New Hampshire. Can he do that in the NFL?’ Then you come out here and it’s like wow. Nine on seven? Wooh? Pops. Blitz pickup? Wooh. Catching the ball out the backfield? He’s working. The thing about it is it’s not flashy. If you don’t really watch practice closely, you might miss him. But if you really watch his body of work…he’s getting his opportunity and he’s making the most out of it.”
Rookies often talk about their biggest strides coming when the game ‘slows down’’ for them. Usually that comes with learning the playbook and the scheme.
For that Laube reached out to some players he knew who played in the league and they imparted upon him how to best prepare for his first time facing NFL competition.
“When you step on this field you don’t know what to truly expect,” Laube said. “The first day of camp was my first day when I was like I truly belong here. And it’s been all business since. So, yeah, it’s been fun.”
It has showed on the practice field obviously. He gets a good deal of work with the second team, surpassing several other backs who have been with the team and are trying to break on the roster. He even seems to be getting some pass catching duties out the backfield that were previously reserved for Ameer Abdullah. And don’t think Abdullah hasn’t noticed.
“The young guy Dylan Laube, he’s bringing the spark every time he gets the ball,” said Abdullah. “He’s a very special guy.”
Laube shows an understanding of the blocking and often finds the creases and push through tackles for extra yardage. Those instincts show up on run plays and in his duties in kick returns.
His coaches have shown a level of confidence in him you don’t often see with a late round rookie. From the looks of things, Laube at very least has the inside track on the primary kick return job. And at most he could have an early role as a receiver out of the backfield and get a handful of carries.