UCLA Football: Five Bruins to watch in the 2017 NFL preseason
DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Selected in the third round by the Oakland Raiders as they looked to improve their interior defensive line. Despite having one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL with Khalil Mack, the Raiders still struggled to create any pressure from the interior.
Enter Vanderdoes.
At UCLA EV could be a man among boys with his strength and size. There were plenty of plays in his reel where he tossed offensive linemen aside, bullied them into the laps of QBs for a sack or just anchored down against double teams in the run game.
. @TDGawd dug deep and went through Eddie Vanderdoes' film from FS to SR year for a full scouting report you don't want to miss. (8am tmr.) pic.twitter.com/8xdToMR6MA
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) May 10, 2017
EV did however play a little heavier than was probably optimal for him (he played closer to 320) while with the UCLA Football team and since being signed he’s looked to slim down to about 300 pounds. From practice reports he’s looked good at that weight and hasn’t sacrificed strength by getting lighter.
The Raiders don’t really have a guy on the roster like EV who can provide an interior rush while being stout in the run game. Justin Ellis is a big plugger but offers little in the way of a consistent rush. I’m thinking we are going to see EV get more and more snaps as the season wears on.