The Las Vegas Raiders are done with the draft and the top undrafted free agents have been signed but the team wasn’t done adding rookies. The NFL has an International Player Pathway program that they have begun to implement. This is so football players outside of the United States of America can get a chance at playing in the NFL.
Eight players from foreign countries landed with NFL teams, including defensive end David Ebuka Agoha, who signed with the Raiders.
Ebuka Agoha is 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. He certainly has the build of an NFL defensive end but needs to gain some weight if he hopes to make a roster. He is one of six Nigerian players to get added to NFL rosters this offseason. The 21-year-old is a player the Raiders watched closely at the international Pro Day and followed throughout the process.
Adam Maxie of the Raiders’ pro scouting department led the charge on Ebuka Agoha
“They did a good amount of work on this international group,” Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Adam Maxie went to the international Pro Day and they identified a few players we would hope to add and David was one of them.”
Ebuka Agoha has a long road ahead of him if he hopes to play in the NFL but the Raiders will give him a fair chance.
Tyree Wilson Among Favorites to Win DROY
While Ebuka Agoha is certainly intriguing, the focus on the Raiders’ defensive line this season is going to be on No. 7 overall pick Tyree Wilson. The former Texas Tech defensive end was one of the top defensive prospects in the draft and expectations are high for him. Despite the fact that he’ll likely be playing behind Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones for much of the season, Pro Football Focus believes Wilson is one of the favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Pass-rush win rate is fairly reliable as a translatable stat from college to the NFL. In his breakout season, Wilson recorded a 23.0% pass-rush win rate, which led all first-round pass rushers. His foot injury, which was a topic of conversation during the pre-draft process, might hold him back from really hitting the ground running his rookie season, so keep that in mind. But if we get a full year from him, we know opposing offensive lines will be paying a lot of attention to Maxx Crosby on the other side. That should free up Wilson to get opportunistic one-on-ones.
Raiders Done Adding to the DL?
The Raiders added three defensive linemen in the draft and three more in undrafted free agency. It’s becoming a crowded group for Las Vegas. While the team could still use a defensive tackle with more pass rushing ability, it seems like the team is likely down adding to the defensive line for now.
They have a good mix of young players and veterans. It should be one of the deepest position groups on the team next season. There are still questions on if this group can consistently rush the passer but there’s certainly more upside present than there was last season.
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Raiders Add Intriguing 21-Year-Old Nigerian Defender