The Raiders selected a small-school EDGE player late in last year’s NFL draft, and in a display of diligence, they were the first to take an in-person look at a similar 2020 prospect.
Last year, it was DE Quinton Bell, drafted in the seventh round out of Prarie View A&M. This time around, the Raiders gathered information on pass-rush specialist Shaq Bradford, who dominated the competition for tiny Kansas Wesleyan University, an NAIA school. (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.)
Listed on Kansas Wesleyan’s team website at 5-foot-10 and 223 pounds, Bradford went on a two-year tear after attending junior college, finishing with an incredible 63 tackles for loss and 43 sacks.
Bradford told On Air with Chris Shanafelt it was a visit from the Raiders in early 2019 that made his NFL dream seem attainable.
“I had the Raiders talk to me and they and did a measurement test, and that’s when I knew, like, there’s a possibility. These teams are looking,” Bradford said. “They’re at least giving me somewhat of an opportunity. That Raiders scout didn’t have to come talk to me and take all my measurements. When he took that time, it really opened up my eyes.”
More NFL scouts followed the Raiders lead. According to Bradford, teams visited throughout the season to take a look at him and another Kansas Wesleyan prospect, offensive tackle Ely Smith.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock is open to selecting little known prospects, judging from his selection of Bell, whom NFL Media didn’t even have highlight footage of. Mayock could also potentially sign Bradford as an undrafted free agent.
But that Mayock’s scouting department was the first on the scene at tiny Kansas Wesleyan should bolster the confidence of Raiders fans. It’s an important offseason, with the team looking to take another step forward in their new Las Vegas home, and it seems that Mayock is leaving no stone unturned in his search for future Raiders.
[vertical-gallery id=60514]
[lawrence-newsletter]