Nick Emmanwori and Grey Zabel were two of the stars of last year’s NFL scouting combine about 11 months before they were both key contributors on Seattle’s Super Bowl championship team.
New Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, who was the offensive coordinator for that team, will now spend the next week in Indianapolis trying to find those same types of talents as he works with general manager John Spytek to help form his first roster as a head coach.
That probably won’t involve watching projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza throw with the rest of the quarterbacks on Saturday. Mendoza is expected to meet with Kubiak, Spytek and the rest of the Raiders contingent during the week, but has said he is unlikely to participate in on-field drills that could only hurt his draft stock.
But while the combine has evolved into more and more of a television spectacle over the years, the most important work is still done behind the scenes.
The organization’s time getting to know Mendoza will be extremely important.
Quarterback, however, isn’t the only hole for Spytek and Kubiak to try to fill.
The Raiders need help up and down the roster, so they will spend much of the week trying to find gems throughout the rest of the draft.
Like Seattle did last year.
Diamonds in the rough
Emmanwori announced his presence to the Seahawks and the rest of the league last February, obliterating the drills to the point he scored the highest Relative Athletic Score of any safety prospect in combine history.
Zabel also stood out in Indianapolis, erasing any doubts about his strength and athleticism on the offensive line despite coming from the FCS level in college.
Both wound up as key contributors and both play positions the Raiders could be looking at this year.
Spytek and Kubiak will also keep a close eye on wide receivers, cornerbacks, linebackers and potentially even defensive linemen to address immediate needs.
They might also take a longer than expected look at edge rushers in case the situation with defensive end Maxx Crosby forces the team to move on from its defensive star this offseason.
The good news for the Raiders is there should be some depth at several of those spots.
“Wide receiver is really, really good,” NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said when providing an overview of the deepest position groups in this class. “I think I have 19 guys with grades that put them in the top three rounds.
“Corners, we have a nice mix of outside guys and one of the really good groups of slot guys I’ve seen the last couple years.”
Jeremiah said it would also be possible to find talent on the interior of the defensive line even if a team chooses to wait on the position.
“Defensive tackles aren’t as deep as edge rushers, but there are some intriguing guys with some traits. Second to fourth round is a nice sweet spot. You’ve got some real big guys in there.
“As teams are playing more coverage shells and want to stop the run with less bodies, I think those guys are starting to have more value again.”
Here is a look at what the upcoming week will look like for the Raiders and some names to watch at some of the positions the team is likely to focus on:
Interviews
These will come in multiple forms.
Kubiak and Spytek will likely be very popular people for the national shows broadcasting on site from the Indiana Convention Center.
They will also do podium appearances that should be available for fans to watch.
Of course, Mendoza also will make the media rounds in addition to his time at a podium.
But the conversations fans don’t see will be most impactful.
Team officials will likely get their first extensive time to sit down and start the process of getting to know the man to whom they are expected to hand over the keys to the franchise in April.
It will be the most important time of the week for the franchise, but it will happen well out of the eyes of the public.
So will all the behind-the-scenes conversations at places like St. Elmo’s, Harry &Izzy’s, Kilroy’s, Prime 47 and High Velocity. Even Starbucks. Agents, general managers and coaches all descending on the same Indy hot spots is a recipe for league-changing decisions to happen.
Expect Crosby’s availability to be among the hottest topics.
On-field workouts
The part of the combine with which most fans are familiar is when the prospects take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium to run the 40-yard dash and get put through a series of football drills.
That will start Thursday with defensive linemen and linebackers. The Raiders could be in the market for both, so this figures to be an important session.
Defensive backs and tight ends are up Friday. They are pretty set at tight end, so fans can set their focus on both corners and safeties.
Saturday will be the day for offensive skill positions. Mendoza won’t be throwing and if the Raiders don’t plan to trade the pick, there doesn’t seem to be much need to watch the rest of the group.
It’s also unlikely the Raiders would take a running back, certainly not in the first few rounds, after using a first-round pick on Ashton Jeanty last year. They should be in the market for some depth, however.
Instead, all eyes should be on the wide receivers. This is a deep class at the position and it’s one the Raiders absolutely must address either through the draft or free agency.
The event wraps up Sunday with offensive line drills.
It may be the most important day of on-field work as the Raiders will undoubtedly be trying to identify talent in the group. It would be very surprising if they don’t select at least one player from this group.
The Raiders have nine additional picks after choosing at the top of the draft. Even if their minds are set on Mendoza, the roster will be built out using the rest of the selections.
The work on that begins this week.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.