Raiders select TE Nick Kasa with 172nd overall pick

The Raiders have added another TE to their roster with this 6th round pick of Nick Kasa out of Colorado. Nick is a player that is still raw at the TE position but was good enough to draw the Raiders attention. He converted from DE to TE in 2011.

Reggie McKenzie knew that the Raiders needed to add a TE some time in this off-season, they currently just have David Ausberry and Richard Gordan at the position other than now Nick Kasa. They lost starter Brandon Myers this off-season in free agency.

Nick Kasa didn't perform bad at the Combine with 22 bench presses and a 4.75 40 yard dash. He had been highly touted as a 5 star prospect at DE when heading to Colorado. He was converted to TE in his junior year where he only had 1 catch.

His senior year he wasn't extraordinary but his progress from one year to the next was pretty substantial going from 1 catch for 8 yards to 20 catches for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns which is a 17 ypc average. A very raw prospect to be sure but one that has an unknown ceiling.

Reggie hasn't been shy about drafting players like Kasa who are project players with possibly high ceilings. This one was taken in the 6th round so there is not a lot of risk involved although every draft pick matters. If he is anymore than a depth addition for the Raiders he will have had a successful rookie campaign.

Look for him to be a physical player that enjoys contact considering his DE history and his size at 6'6 and 269 lbs. He could be an intriguing player as we watch him grow at the NFL level. Nick was also a member of the North squad at the Senior Bowl that the Raiders staff coached.