The Las Vegas Raiders clearly like Georgia talent. Star tight end Brock Bowers was their first-round pick a couple of years ago, and the team added two notable former Bulldogs in Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean in free agency.
That’s not to mention that they signed Eric Stokes to a contract extension. Walker, Dean and Bowers are about to reunite with a former teammate.
The Raiders signed former Georgia linebacker Xavian Sorey as an undrafted free agent. He was at Georgia from 2021 to 2023, where he won two National Championships alongside Walker, Dean and Bowers. He should know Walker and Dean well after playing in the same position group as them.
Sorey transferred to Arkansas and played there for the last two years. He put up solid numbers for the Razorbacks, having combined for 180 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Sorey is also a good athlete for his size. Considering his familiarity with players on the roster and production at an SEC school, Sorey could be a player who steals a roster spot this offseason. He’s already 24, so there’s not a ton of upside there, but he’s got experience and a nose for the ball. NFL.com ranked him as the ninth-best undrafted free agent linebacker.
Scouting Report on Sorey
Despite his pedigree playing at some big-time schools, Sorey wasn’t expected to get drafted. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein likes the linebacker’s athletic ability, but is worried he just doesn’t do the other things well enough to give him a real chance at being an impact player in the NFL.
“Athletic Will linebacker with inconsistencies in his game that might hinder his projection as a pro,” Zierlein wrote. “Sorey can read and recognize run-play development. He’s capable as a run-and-chase linebacker but his missed tackle totals are alarming. He struggles to take on blocks and maintain run fits near the line. He has issues with coverage busts and a lack of awareness in zone drops. Sorey’s athletic profile should garner attention, but a lack of consistent execution in the fundamentals could be a tough challenge to overcome.”
Raiders Talk Draft Class
Instead of general manager John Spytek speaking to the media after the draft, the Raiders had director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan and assistant general manager Brian Stark talk. One thing that was important for them was finding players who are ready to play.
“[Our draft class has] really high floors,” Hunt said. “We really think that a lot of [them] will be ready to come in and contribute.”
Second-round pick Treydan Stukes could be one of the most important players in the class. The Raiders love his physicality.
“He’s got really good man-to-man coverage skills, which is hard to identify in those safeties sometimes,” Stark said. “He’s a physical player, so he checks every box for the skills that you’re looking for at that spot.”
Fourth-round pick Jermod McCoy was supposed to be a first-round pick before injury concerns caused him to slide. The Raiders are excited about his potential if he can stay healthy.
“[McCoy is] twitchy, fast, a cover guy [and] got some punt return skills,” Hunt said. “We’re really excited to see what he does. And the future is bright for this guy.”
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