Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Coming off a 3-13 season and in desperate need of a direction change, the Oakland Raiders made a confusing decision when they selected Florida outside linebacker Neiron Ball in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Ball is a great story — a player who has really battled adversity to keep his NFL dreams alive. However, the Raiders simply aren’t in a situation to wait around for projects to pan out. Oakland needs immediate production heading into 2015, and Ball doesn’t offer much in terms of potential to make plays right away.
There are serious concerns regarding Ball’s physical status, and long-term durability. He underwent microfracture knee surgery back in November, and also had brain surgery back in 2011. He’s been injured for much of his collegiate career, and has only started 16 games during his time with the Gators. The medical concerns certainly don’t seem to be going away, especially considering his knee problem could linger.
When he is healthy, Ball offers good athleticism and solid versatility to play a number of positions. During his time with the Gators, he played mainly outside linebacker, but also saw some snaps on the inside. He’ll be able to do the same with the Raiders.
Unfortunately, he lacks the quickness and awareness to excel in coverage, and doesn’t have the speed to be effective on the edge in the NFL. While his strength was adequate at the college level, Ball may also struggle taking on blockers at the next level considering his lack of size (6’3”, 236 pounds).
At this point, the Raiders don’t have the luxury of spending picks on players like Ball. This one will go down as a wasted pick.
