Raiders take OLB Sio Moore in round 3

The Raiders bulked up their linebacking corps with the drafting of outside linebacker Sio Moore out of Connecticut.

Born in Liberia, Sio is short for Snorio which, as he says, means "God is the greatest."

The 6-1, 245 pound linebacker projects most as a weakside linebacker in the NFL but could also play strong side linebacker or 3-4 rush linebacker. He's an explosive athlete with sideline to sideline speed and showed the ability to cover the slot or tight ends at Connecticut. He tested through the roof in the explosive drills at the combine and it shows on tape.

The 3-year starter is very smart and rarely out of position. It showed up as he averaged nearly 90 tackles in those three seasons. He needs to improve upon shedding blocks as he can get overwhelmed by bigger, stronger lineman. Although, he was still able to rack up 44 tackles for loss.

Connecticut used Moore all over the field including as a pass rusher. He is best when he rushing off the edge and can use his speed to beat tackles around the corner. A very quick first step helping him accrue 16.0 sacks the past three seasons. He is in the backfield consistendly, forcing the QB to flush the pocket early or be chased down by Moore's speed. He was a nightmare for QB's this season, when he wasn't getting the sack he was moving the pocket and/or getting his hands in passing lanes.

While he isn't chasing down QB's, he is impressing in coverage and does a nice job of jamming receivers at the line to disrupt their route. His coverage skills showed up with his 11 passes defended last season and 8 PD the year before.

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