There was talk of the Las Vegas Raiders trying to reunite No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with some of his Indiana teammates in the draft. The team didn’t end up drafting any other players from Indiana, but they did find one as an undrafted free agent.
Equity Sports announced that former Indiana running back Roman Hemby has signed with the Raiders.
After rushing for 1,120 yards and winning a National Championship with the Hoosiers, it was expected that Hemby would get drafted, but he ended up slipping. He was a priority free agent, and the Raiders were able to scoop him up.
With Ashton Jeanty already on the roster and Las Vegas drafting former Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr., Hemby is going to have to really stand out in training camp to earn a roster spot. It’ll help him that Mendoza knows him well. He’ll be comfortable handing the ball to the young running back.
One thing that will help Hemby is that he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He had 129 career catches in college. The Raiders running back room has a chance to be very balanced and deep this season if some of these young players hit.
Scouting Report on Hemby
It’s certainly going to be disappointing for Hemby that he didn’t get the chance to be drafted. He was a very productive player last season. That said, he’s going to be 24 when the season starts, which is old for a rookie.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein appreciates Hemby’s aggressive running style, but could be better if he were a bit more elusive.
“Hard-charging runner with average vision/burst but good decisiveness and the ability to finish through contact,” Zierlein wrote. “Hemby is wired for hard running inside, but he has the one-cut quickness to succeed on zone carries. He has stop-start quickness to reset the run against penetration but rarely looks to elude tacklers once he hits it downfield. Punishing collisions are inevitable for defensive backs looking to tackle him in the open field. He’s willing in protection but must clean up mental errors. Hemby is a viable pass-catcher, which should add to his value as a likely Day 3 pick and potential three-down backup who can handle short-yardage carries right away.”
Raiders Get Good Grade for Washington Pick
Running back wasn’t a huge need for the Raiders since they have Jeanty on the roster, but they did need a change-of-pace back. Washington is a speed running back, so he’ll add another element to the offense.
The investment in him isn’t huge, and Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal gave the Raiders an “A-” grade for making the pick.
“He’s got great size, but doesn’t always use it to finish runs,” Hill wrote. “Washington also has a great deal of work to do in pass protection if he wants to play on all three downs.
“But the top-end speed is appealing. He had 16 plays of 20 or more yards last season, which placed second in the SEC. Washington has also shown some effectiveness in short yardage.”
Raiders Sign 1,120-Yard RB With Ties to Fernando Mendoza