Oakland has a team full of young players expected to receive huge contracts within the next couple of years. No longer are the Raiders expected to be big spenders during free agency. From now on the focus will be on the NFL draft. The upcoming 2017 NFL draft appears to be loaded with talent. Oakland will look to strengthen their roster by hitting on their draft picks. Cornerback will be a position the Raiders look at heavily. Plenty of players are worthy of the 24th overall pick. There might be one player the Raiders would love to take. The Oakland Raiders should draft Teez Tabor.
The Oakland Raiders Should Draft Teez Tabor
Fills Need
Khalil Mack inspires fear in the hearts of opposing offenses. No other players on the Raiders defense seems to have that ability. In fact, offenses that attacked the Raiders secondary found great success in 2016. Free agent corner back Sean Smith was a disappointment all season long. David Amerson started the year strong but his play fizzled out as the year went on. No other corner on the roster was able to stick, and as a result the secondary suffered.
Teez Tabor fills a need on the Raiders. No corner currently on the roster is irreplaceable. Whether Tabor lines up on the outside or finds a role in the slot, the reality is upgrades are necessary for the secondary to improve. The NFL is a passing league, and you can never have enough good cornerbacks.
Playmaker
During his three years at Florida, Teez Tabor recorded eight interceptions. Tabor played in what is widely considered the best conference in college football. SEC football programs constantly produce NFL talent every year. Teez Tabor consistently produced throughout his college career. At 6’0″ 201 lbs. Tabor has really good size to matchup with NFL receivers. Sean Smith and David Amerson each intercepted the ball two times in 2016. With Tabor’s exceptional ball skills, he could be among the league leaders in takeaways. Oakland needs a young playmaker in the secondary that can make quarterbacks pay when they make a mistake. Teez Tabor has the talent to be a feared corner at the next level.
Team Connections
Sometimes, it’s all about who you know. Teez Tabor and the Oakland Raiders have more connections than people might think. Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has a son playing football at Florida. Del Rio watches a lot of Florida football, and with a standout player like Teez on the team, he’s probably been noticed. In recent drafts, the Raiders have selected quite a few players from Florida. Reggie McKenzie definitely has his eyes on college football teams in the state of Florida. Also, Raiders linebackers coach Sal Sunseri has connections to Tabor. Teez tabor was close to attending Tennessee but opted not to once Sunseri was fired as head coach. Sunseri has been a Raiders coach since 2015, and if he and Tabor still have a good relationship, it could mean good things for both the Raiders, and Tabor.
In Conclusion
Teez Tabor had a very flashy and productive career at Florida. Although some of his combine numbers were flat out awful, Tabor is still a very good football player. Sometimes too much attention is paid to things that don’t matter all that much. Tabor is a good football player. That matters. If the Raiders are serious about strengthening their secondary, they should draft Teez Tabor.
