Oakland Raiders Some players make you want
to draw, and there was Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver on
draft night scribbling down possible formations and pass rushes as he waited
for Oakland's
first pick to arrive. Oakland Raiders The Raiders got their man, Oakland
Raiders taking Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack with the fifth
pick of the first round, Oakland Raiders and the special athlete now has
teammates excited after a month of practices and a three-day minicamp, Oakland
Raiders which ended Thursday. Offensive tackle Donald Penn said
the 6-foot-3, Oakland Raiders 255-pound Mack "moves like a defensive
back" and "has a motor that's relentless." Quarterback Matt
Schaub said it's early and players aren't wearing pads yet, but he can see
the comparison to his former Texans teammate J.J. Watt, Oakland Raiders
the 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. "You can see the impact
that he can create," Schaub said. "You can see his physical gifts and
his ability to shed blockers and be able to disrupt the passer and the timing
of the route." Even coach Dennis Allen, who'd rather bite his
tongue than make grand overstatements, has been gushing over Mack. He said
Mack's power, length and ability to bend and move reminds him of feared Broncos
pass rusher Von Miller, who Allen coached in Denver in 2011. "I know we've
thrown out some comparisons, I've thrown out some comparisons, but really I'm
focused on Khalil Mack being the best football player that he can be,"
Allen said. "I think he's an outstanding talent. I think he's got a huge
upside. If he continues to work the way that he has, I think he'll fulfill
those goals and the expectations that we have of him." Mack doesn't
worry about the expectations to be a playmaker. "I'm a relaxed
individual," Mack said. "I don't really think 'pressure, pressure,
pressure.' I think, 'OK, this is what it is, work on this, work on that, do
your job.' " Mack will start at strong-side outside linebacker, but
will also move around and have his hand on the ground as a third-down
pass rusher. "We've got his head spinning right now, which is a good
thing," Allen said. "We're going to throw as much at him as we can
into the early part of training camp, and then we'll settle down into the
things we can execute as a team at a high level." Mack said he is
still getting comfortable before each play, figuring out all of the defensive
calls by teammates. Oakland Raiders "It is a lot of voices behind my
head, Oakland Raiders trying to figure out what safeties are saying," Mack
said. Oakland Raiders "You've got to listen to the right things. I'm
trying to break down and assess the game at a high level like those
guys are." Oakland Raiders Once the play is over, Mack seeks the
voices of defensive stalwarts Justin Tuck and Lamarr
Woodley. Oakland Raiders "It'd be dumb for me not to ask questions
knowing the skill level they play with and that they're pretty much the best in
the game when it comes to pass rushing," Mack said. Oakland Raiders The
players all went their separate ways Thursday, Oakland Raiders to return to
training camp July
24 in Napa.
Mack doesn't relish the time off. "I want to work on stuff tomorrow
if I could," Oakland Raiders he said. "I want to do what I can to
prepare myself, especially for training camp and be that immediate
impact player," Oakland Raiders.
