Raiders use third round pick on DT Eddie Vanderdoes

The Raiders have selected Eddie Vanderdoes out of UCLA  in the third round. Vanderdoes is a California kid who has had some injury troubles but has a ton of potential as a guy who can draw double-teams in the middle of the defensive line. Vanderdoes is 6'3", 305 pounds and impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl, looking like his younger self before all his injuries.

Vanderdoes has fantastic athleticism and heavy hands which can dislodge blockers with relative ease. He is extremely disruptive and has good potential as a run stuffer and a pass rusher. However, he has suffered with knee injuries which have cut his time on the field short so it's hard to get a serious read on what he can become as a player. This former five-star recruit might have one of the highest ceilings in the draft on the defensive line.

In the first two rounds, the Raiders elected to address their secondary, taking corner Gareon Conley and safety Obi Melifonwu to solidify a pass defense which was subpar last season. This pick is designed to plug up the middle of the defensive line, and Vanderdoes teaming with Mario Edwards and Jihad Ward could be a nightmare for opposing interior linemen.

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Raiders 2017 Draft picks

Round 1: Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State

Round 2: Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut

Round 3: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA

Raiders remaining needs:

LB, OT, RB