A former five-star recruit, Leal (6-4, 290) has elite athleticism for his size and inside/outside versatility. Stout against the run and disruptive as a pass-rusher, Leal had a team-high eight pressures, seven TFLs, 2.5 sacks, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery in 2020.
After drafting Alex Leatherwood in the first round, there were rumblings of tension in the Las Vegas Raiders' front office. Who knows what the future has in store for the organization, but as we peek ahead to 2022 defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal from Texas A&M might be someone for Raiders fans to keep an eye on. Leal can both rush off the end in even fronts and even kick inside or align as a defensive tackle in odd fronts, and last season he led Aggies defensive lineman with 37 tackles, and also notched eight quarterback pressures, most on Texas A&M. His ability to play inside and outside might push him even higher come next spring.
Elam earned a coverage grade of 89.8 in a part-time role as a freshman in 2019 and then improved that grade to 81.0 this past season. For his career, he's allowed only 33 catches from 77 targets for 434 yards. At 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, the Florida product is built to play in the league.
Elam is a 6-foot-2 speedy ball hawk -- he played wide receiver and ran track in high school -- who has picked off five passes over two seasons with the Gators. His 13 passes defended in 2020 tied for the fourth most in the country. The Raiders took corners inside the first three rounds in 2019 (Trayvon Mullen, Round 2) and 2020 (Damon Arnette, Round 1), but Elam would help shore up a unit that has struggled. Las Vegas tied for the fifth-fewest interceptions in 2020 with just 10.
Elam's uncle, Matt Elam, played safety at Florida and was a first-round pick of the Ravens in 2013.
Leal is already one of the most physically imposing players in the SEC and he's still growing. He features inside-outside versatility and is an asset against the run or pass.
When I was studying USC's tape during the 2019 season, I thought I found a sleeper prospect when No. 99 kept popping on film. Turns out Jackson was only a true freshman, and he quickly announced himself to the world as a future top pick.
The Raiders need a lot of things -- and maybe the '21 draft class will solve some of those issues -- but it's only a matter of time before Jon Gruden succumbs to the allure of a new QB.
Yes, this is in part because this Raiders' regime seemingly only picks players from top-10 programs. The Raiders do need a wide receiver who can win from the outside, though. Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow are all decent players, but none of them quite offer true No.1 WR qualities. The major issue with Ross is his neck injury that kept him out of 2020, but he was one of the best WRs in the nation before then and should return to that status in 2021.