Will Oakland take Houston corner again?
Forgive Raiders fans if they recoil a little bit at the suggestion that the team might a draft a cornerback from the University of Houston on Thursday night.
William Jackson III might have a lot going for him — size, speed, game video — but it’s the III part … Oakland has drafted two cornerbacks from Houston in the past 11 years.
Three years ago, the Raiders selected D J Hayden with the 12th overall pick, and the undersized corner is fighting to make the roster, forget for a starting spot.
Then there was Stanford Routt in 2005. The secondround selection wasn’t that bad; it was the three-year, $31.5 million contract extension in 2011. He was waived a year later and left with $20 million guaranteed. He often is seen in the good seats at big Las Vegas fights.
General manager Reggie McKenzie won’t be thinking about Hayden or Routt (OK, maybe Hayden) when he picks 14th in the draft Thursday. Jackson very well could be the best player available, and the Raiders could use another cornerback even after the free-agent signing of Sean Smith.
At 6 feet, Jackson is a couple of inches taller than Hayden, and still needs to put on weight at 189. Jackson does have a long reach and plays physically. He seems to be a good fit for Jack Del Rio’s defense.
Jackson was targeted 93 times last season, allowing only 46 catches (49.5 percent), according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed a passer rating of 57.9 when the ball was thrown his way, with five interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
That was at Houston, you say? Well, in the Peach Bowl against Florida State, Jackson won defensive MVP honors with 10 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups.
His stock continued to rise at the NFL combine, in which he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and had a broad jump of 9 feet, 8 inches.
“William’s long, and his wingspan allows him to be very physical in press coverage,” Houston head coach Tom Herman told the Houston Chronicle. “He probably needs to put on 10 pounds of muscle, but he’s not shy about throwing his body around. He’s a very aggressive, competitive dude. He can catch the ball well. …
“He’s got a knack. He’s got great instincts.”
Jackson signed a letter of intent to play for Houston, but high-school grade issues led him to a one-year detour to Trinity Valley Junior College in Athens, Texas.
“Junior college humbled me,” Jackson said at the combine.
Jackson might not be the only cornerback for the Raiders to consider at 14. Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III seems to be falling because of teams trading up for quarterbacks and rumors of a failed drug test.
He is 5-10, 204 pounds and was All-SEC each of his three seasons. He would be able to start right away against slot receivers.
“If there is a plug-and-play corner in this draft, and say, ‘This is your side of the field,’ (Hargreaves) is the kid,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’s quick, he’s fast and he’s got ball skills. He has the best feet of any corner I’ve seen in years.”
He doesn’t have great speed (4.50), and in a 2014 matchup with Raiders receiver Amari Cooper (then at Alabama), Hargreaves was roasted for 10 receptions for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
Ohio State corner Eli Apple could be an interesting trade-down target for the Raiders. He is 6-1 and maybe the best tackler of the three, but more of a developmental player when it comes to coverage.