Ballers & Busters: Raiders preseason Week 3 vs Cowboys

Raiders Ballers & Buster for their preseason finale vs Cowboys

One more chance for many hopefuls on this Raiders training camp roster to show what they can do, both for the Raiders coaches as well as the rest of the league.

How did they do in this final exhibition? Let’s take a look

Ballers

WR Kristian Wilkerson

With one, and possibly two, receiver spots up for grabs on the Raiders roster, Wilkerson set out to prove he was worthy of it. And he put his best foot forward, catching 10 passes for 122 yards. No other Raiders receiver came with seven catches of his total and only one receiver came within 100 yards of his receiving total.

K Daniel Carlson

Went three for three in the game, including a 62-yarder and a 50-yarder. That 62-yarder was an upright splitter which looked like it would’ve been good from 70 yards. What a weapon.

RB Damien Williams

He doesn’t just have a great first name, he was breaking off big yards in chunks. He had two of the top four longest plays by the Raiders in this game and the only two runs that went for over ten yards. He had the Raiders’ only touchdown in the game on a 24-yard burst. Then he had a 20-yard run to lead out the third quarter that led to a field goal. He finished with 54 yards and a TD on six carries (nine yards per carry).

G Jordan Meredith

On both of those long Williams runs, Meredith laid a key block. His only mistake in the game was being flagged for holding.

DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Early in the second quarter, he had a run stuff for one yard on third and two. A few plays later he made the stop on a three-yard run. His best play may have come on a 16-yard catch in which he raced into the secondary to make the tackle. His five combined tackles led all Raiders defensive linemen. He added a QB hit as well.

Honorable Mention

QB Aidan O’Connell — Another efficient day for the rookie. Though he was unable to throw any touchdowns, he didn’t turn the ball over either.

WR Cam Sims — Had another fantastic grab in this one. This time reaching up high to pluck a 22-yard grab up the left sideline. The skills he has shown as a jump ball target are valuable.

Raiders sign most of draft class ahead of start to rookie camp

A bevvy of Draft class signings for Raiders on the eve of rookie camp.

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Just ahead of rookie mini camp, the Raiders have begun locking in their rookie draft class. They began rattling off the official signings today.

Here is who has signed so far:

Round 3, pick 100 WR Tre Tucker
Round 4, pick 135 QB Aidan O’Connell
Round 5, pick 170 S Christopher Smith II
Round 6, pick 203 LB Amari Burney
Round 7, pick 231 DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Tucker signs a four-year, $5.4 million deal.

O’Connell signs a four-year, $4.7 million deal.

Smith signs a four-year, $4.1 million deal.

Burney signs a four-year, $4 million contract.

Jade Silvera signs a four-year, $3.9 million deal.

None of these deals carry a cap figure that rises into the Top 51 and thus do not currently count against the Raiders 2023 cap figures.

In total the Raiders drafted nine players this year. The others are:

Round 1, pick 7 ED Tyree Wilson
Round 2, pick 35 TE Michael Mayer
Round 3, pick 70 DT Byron Young
Round 4, pick 104 CB Jakorian Bennett

New York Jets sign S Trey Dean III as UDFA

Trey Dean III might not have heard his name called during the draft, but he quickly signed a free-agent deal with the New York Jets to start his pro career.

The New York Jets are taking a chance on longtime Florida safety [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] as an undrafted free agent signing.

Dean’s five years with the Gators featured plenty of ups and downs, but he leaves the program with 259 total tackles (141 solo), 24 pass deflections, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, four interceptions and a forced fumble.

During UF’s pro day, Dean explained that he’d been dealing with labral hip tears that would require surgery. Plenty of teams still met with Dean leading up to the draft, but it looks like no one was willing to risk a pick on a player with healthy concerns heading into the offseason.

It might take some development to turn Dean into an NFL-caliber player, but he’s a dynamic defensive back that hits hard and tackles better than most fans give him credit for.

Dean is the second Gator to sign as an undrafted free agent following [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] to the Bills. Six former Florida football players heard their names called during the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts selected quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] with the fourth overall pick. Defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and Torrence came off the board in the second round. Linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Jacksonville) and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] (Las Vegas) went in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.

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Former Florida safety Rashad Torrence II signed as UDFA by Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are bringing in former Florida safety Rashad Torrence II as an undrafted free agent.

The Los Angeles Rams wasted little time reaching out and signing former Florida safety [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft.

Torrence made 25 starts over the final two seasons of his Florida career and leaves Gainesville with 196 total tackles (111 solo), six pass deflections and three interceptions. He’s likely to play as a free safety in the NFL and put up decent coverage numbers throughout 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.

A member of the high school class of 2020, Torrence spent just three years at Florida and declared as an underclassman. Although his 40-yard dash time isn’t as high as many scouts would like, he’s a young, moldable piece that the Rams could use as depth in the secondary until he matures.

Torrence is the third Gator to sign as an undrafted free agent following Richard Gouraige to the Bills and Trey Dean III to the Jets. Six former Florida football players heard their names called during the draft.

Indianapolis Colts selected quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] with the fourth overall pick. Defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and Torrence came off the board in the second round. Linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Jacksonville) and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] (Las Vegas) went in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.

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Buffalo Bills sign Florida OT Richard Gouraige as UDFA

The Buffalo Bills like bringing in former Florida Gators, and offensive tackle Richard Gouraige is the latest to join the team as an undrafted free agent.

After the draft concluded on Sunday, undrafted players were free to sign with NFL teams, and former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] agreed to terms with the Buffalo Bills.

Gouraige will join one of his fellow former Florida offensive linemen in Buffalo as the Bills drafted offensive guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] in the second round. They also picked wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] in the fifth round and have cornerback [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag] from the 2022 draft.

The Bills seem to prefer bringing in former Gators, and Gouraige was signed within an hour of the draft wrapping up. There’s no guarantee he makes the team next season, but it’s a good sign that the Bills were so quick to bring him in.

He spent five years with Florida, starting 42 games for the Gators, mostly at left tackle. He could end up moving back to the interior in the pros, which makes sense given his high run-blocking grades.

Gouraige was the first undrafted free agent off the board for Florida after six selections in the 2023 draft.

The Indianapolis Colts selected quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] with the fourth overall pick. Defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and Torrence came off the board in the second round. Linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Jacksonville) and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] (Las Vegas) went in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.

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Raiders Round 6 LB Amari Burney boasts hands, coverage abilities

Amari Burney boasts hands, coverage abilities Raiders covet

Josh McDaniels and Patrick Graham have talked before about the value of a linebacker who can drop into coverage. In that vein, you can see what they saw in Amari Burney who they selected with the 203rd pick in the sixth round.

“I feel like when I’m in coverage you don’t have to double the man that I’m guarding, so you can use the safety to be a rat or something like that,” Burney said of his coverage abilities. “I had the best hands on Florida last year, which I keep saying – my hands are great. I used to play receiver, so I don’t drop too many interceptions.”

Along with his team-leading two interceptions, Burney knocked down six passes. He is a former safety, much like current Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo, who was a full time starter for the Raiders last season at the outside linebacker spot.

That’s exactly the role they envision for Burney.

“Yeah, we think he’s a linebacker,” said Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said when I asked him what role Burney will play on the defense.

“He does also have that coverage ability that you kind of see that safety background. I think in college sometimes they line those guys up to make them play a little bit more man coverage. You don’t see a lot of linebackers in the pros play man coverage anymore. Obviously, you do it a little bit in cover one.

“One of the things we look at when we’re watching linebackers at the pro level or college level is their ability to close space and zone because that’s really what they’re asked to do more than anything else is drop into zone and close space, and he could do that. Also had a couple good plays playing tight ends and things like that down the seam.”

Ziegler and Assistant GM Champ Kelly attended the Florida pro day where they watched the 6-2, 230-pounder run a 4.5 40, showing plenty of speed to stay with tight ends and running back out of the backfield.

And until he’s ready to have a significant role on defense, he is an ideal special teams player.

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Las Vegas Raiders select LB Amari Burney in 6th round of 2023 NFL draft

Amari Burney is headed to Las Vegas! The former Florida linebacker was selected by the Raiders with 203rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Raiders have drafted former Florida linebacker [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] with the 203rd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Burney began his career as a defensive back at Florida. He played both safety and the STAR position for a bit but switched to linebacker as an upperclassman.. A notable NFL combine snub, Burney’s Pro Day performance and 2022 tape was enough for the Raiders to take a chance on him.

He finished his super-senior season with 79 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He played over 2,500 snaps for Florida throughout his five years with the Gators.

The biggest moment of Burney’s Gator career came in the home opener against Utah. He made a diving interception with less than a minute remaining on the clock to secure the win.

Florida has now had six players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] came off the board first at pick No. 4 overall to Indianapolis, and [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. (Chicago) and O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo) were Day 2 selections.

[autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] was the first player selected on Saturday at No. 121 overall to Jacksonville, which means both of Florida’s starting middle linebackers have been drafted. Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is also headed to Buffalo after being the Bills’ fifth-round pick.

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NFL Draft results: Raiders select Florida LB Amari Burney at 203 in 6th round

Raiders pick at 203 in the 6th round is Florida LB Amari Burney

As the draft goes into the home stretch, the Raiders turned in another pick. This time they addressed the linebacker spot and special teams, taking linebacker Amari Burney out of Florida at pick 203 in round six.

Burney graduated after the 2021 season, earning his degree in educational sciences. Last season, in his fifth year of eligibility, he became a full time starter for the first time for the Gators.

The 6-2, 230-pounder put up 79 tackles with nine for a loss and four sacks over 13 starts.

It’s his six pass breakups and two interceptions that could intrigue the Raiders as coverage linebackers are a valuable commodity in today’s increasingly nickel defense NFL.

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Where Florida players stand on ESPN Mel Kiper’s final Big Board

It’s draft season and plenty of former Gators are hoping to hear their names called. Here’s where ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks them just days before the big event.

The 2023 NFL draft is almost ready to begin, and that means draft analysts are locking in their final projections and Big Boards ahead of the big day. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the most well-known analysts in the country and he published his final list on Tuesday.

Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] leads the bunch at No. 7 overall, followed by offensive guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] at No. 61 and defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. at No. 103 overall. Richardson is ranked fourth among quarterbacks in the draft class, Torrence is ranked third among guards and Dexter is the No. 10 defensive tackle.

Kiper’s takes on Florida’s top prospects are interesting. Richardson has been projected to go as high as No. 1 overall, but Kiper sees his stock falling ever so slightly. Torrence has been considered the top guard in the draft for a while, so seeing him at No. 3 is also peculiar.

“Richardson is still very raw,” Kiper wrote. “His mechanics and footwork need a lot of work. He has accuracy issues on shorter throws that should be easier. And yet, the arm strength and the dual-threat ability are so intriguing that a team near the end of Round 1 absolutely could take him and let him develop.”

Plenty of other Gators made the positional rankings.

On offense, wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is No. 43 in his position group, and  [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is the 23rd-best offensive tackle. Defensively, linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] come in at Nos. 15 and 25, respectively.

Former Gator [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. was dismissed from he team but is still ranked No. 18 among outside linebackers. Finally, [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] are ranked Nos. 27 and 28, respectively, among safeties by Kiper.

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2023 Florida Pro Day results and observations

Florida’s 2023 Pro Day was basically the Anthony Richardson Show, but plenty of other Gators got in some good work on Thursday.

A dozen former Gators took part in Florida’s 2023 Pro Day on Thursday, and all 32 NFL teams were in attendance.

The event was televised on the SEC Network, thanks in large part to the attention drawn by potential first-round pick [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]. The former Florida quarterback wowed NFL coaches and scouts with his performance, but it was also a good opportunity for those people to see the other Gators hoping to hear their names called when the draft finally takes place on April 27.

Not every player participated in the same drills. For example, Richardson only threw and skipped things like the 40-yard dash after posting a good number at the combine.

Pro Days are a chance for players to put their best foot forward and improve in whichever areas scouts still have questions about. Even players that were dismissed from the program, such as [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]., got a chance to work in front of everyone.

Some players upped their stock while others didn’t take the jump (literally) that they had hoped for. Here’s how the Gators fared on Thursday in their final appearances at the Swamp.