Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Following the conclusion of Day Two of the 2017 NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio met with the media for a press conference. He touched on a variety of topics, from the new additions of defensive back Obi Melifonwu and defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, to newly-signed running back Marshawn Lynch.
Here are the quick hits from his media session:
**Del Rio discussed how the Senior Bowl helps in the team's evaluation process.
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"That's the biggest thing you hit on there, part of the evaluation process; another opportunity to evaluate these guys. I think the Senior Bowl, in particular, is a very competitive bowl game. Yeah, guys [who] do well there typically do well for this league."
The third-year Raiders Head Coach broke down defensive back Obi Melifonwu.
"I think he can do a lot of different things. He's very gifted athletically. The tape is good. He's done a variety of roles. He's played on tight ends. He's played on receivers. He's been in the back. He's been in post safeties. Kind of done a little bit of everything. He'll come up and strike you. We like him and happy to be able to get him."
He shared what he sees from defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes.
"Active defensive lineman. He's got awareness. He's not a guy that just pushes blocks and has no idea where the ball is. His film is inconsistent, honestly. There's some that's better than others. I just talked to him a little while ago and said, 'We're looking for the high energy guy, the motivated guy.' He's a really good athlete. He came out of high school highly regarded… Come in here and add depth to our defensive line and give us a little interior push."
Del Rio expects to see high intensity and competition from all the players on the roster
"We're going to let these guys compete. Who's one, who's two, who's three, who's four. That'll get determined in training camp. We're going to let these guys come in here and compete. They have a good skillset. We're looking for vastly improved play out of our defense, and all three of these guys are going to get an opportunity to compete and create their role."
He also talked about the recent acquisition of running back Marshawn Lynch.
"Authentic passion is what I see. He is a homegrown guy, he's extremely excited about joining this football team, being a part of the Raider Nation and we're excited to have him. There's going to be questions about how much is left in his tank and things like that, and we're going to find out. I don't know if I've ever seen anybody else be more excited or pleased to be joining a team, my team, our team, you know?... He's fired up about it. He's a big man and he plays with the violence that we like and appreciate."
