Standing at 6'2" and tipping the scales at 334 pounds, defensive tackle Justin "Jelly" Ellis is a hard man to miss.
The bearded big man is entering his second season in Silver and Black, and coming off a successful rookie campaign that saw him start 14 games for the Raiders after being selected in the fourth round (No. 107 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.
However, after what was widely considered a successful rookie campaign, Ellis hasn't garnered much attention this offseason – but don't about forget him.
With the departure of veteran tackle Pat Sims this offseason, Ellis once again appears set to anchor the middle of the Raiders defensive line with newly-acquired defensive tackle Dan Williams.
Entering 2015, the Raiders only have three other defensive tackles currently on the roster – Stacy McGee, Ricky Lumpkin and rookie Leon Orr, who have a combined five NFL starts between them.
Coming out of Louisiana Tech, the NFL.com scouting report on Ellis said he had "Good anchor strength -- is seldom inverted or moved off a spot. Can stack the line and occupy blockers."
Ellis lived up to the billing and filled precisely that role – acting as a force in the middle of the defensive line that occupied blockers and helped stuff the run.
However, as Ellis and the Raiders defense progresses though 2015 and beyond, the big defensive tackle is going to have to show he can push the offensive line back and get pressure on the opposing team's quarterback, as the Silver and Black only tallied 22 sacks during the 2014 campaign.
Ellis has demonstrated he has the raw, physical ability to be a productive defensive tackle in the NFL, now he must take the next step in his professional development.
You might not have heard much about Justin "Jelly" Ellis this offseason, but be sure to keep an eye on him and the rest of the Raiders defensive line once the team reports to training camp in Napa, Calif.
