Latest picks plug holes in secondary, on defensive line

The Raiders addressed their 26thranked defense again Friday night, selecting Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu in the second round of the NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. Melifonwu has size (6-foot-3, 224 pounds) and speed (4.40-second 40-yard dash) and can also play a little linebacker on passing downs.

He even took reps at cornerback at Senior Bowl practices.

“He can do a lot of different things,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said.

Oakland then plugged up its middle a little bit, drafting 302-pound UCLA defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes in the third round with the 88th pick. He didn’t have a great senior year, ballooning up to 340 pounds, but has potential — he was the No. 1-rated high school defensive lineman coming out of Auburn (Placer County).

“His game film was a little inconsistent,” Del Rio said. “I told him that tonight, that we’re looking for the high-energy guy.”

Melifonwu teams with first-round pick (and cornerback) Gareon Conley to give the Raiders’ secondary another jolt of youth, as safety Karl Joseph was the team’s first-round pick last year. Veteran Reggie Nelson was the other starting safety last season.

Del Rio is excited about the defensive haul at this year’s draft.

“We’re looking for vastly improved play out of our defense and all three of these guys are going to get an opportunity to compete and create their role,” Del Rio said.

And yes, the addition of Melifonwu may even mean the Raiders can cover tight ends this season.

“It’s no secret we’ve struggled for the last couple of years covering the opponent’s tight ends,” Del Rio said. “We think this is a guy who can help, with his length, match up against some of the bigger tight ends, some of the better tight ends, and we’ll put him right in the mix.”

The rookie is up for the challenge.

“I am faster than most tight ends that I go against, and I feel I will be able to cover them” in the NFL, Melifonwu said.

Melifonwu, who had a combine-best 44-inch vertical jump, had a team-high 128 tackles and four interceptions last season.

Vanderdoes had 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 starts for the Bruins, as some scouts thought he wasn’t fully recovered from 2015 knee surgery. He agrees, saying in a conference call that last season “wasn’t me.”

“I got my explosiveness back” at the Senior Bowl, Vanderdoes said. “I am definitely at the top of shape right now, so I’m ready to get back to work and show them the player that they saw on the film and the player that they wanted to draft.”

The Raiders may try to address their big hole at middle linebacker Saturday in rounds four through seven.

Del Rio, meanwhile, was asked about Wednesday’s addition of running back Marshawn Lynch, the Oakland native and former Seahawk who is coming out of retirement. Lynch was downright giddy when he signed and a trade was worked out with Seattle.

“He brings authentic passion,” Del Rio said. “He is a hometown guy, and he is extremely excited to be a part of our team. There are questions about how much he has left in the tank, and we’re going to find out . ...

“I just can’t remember a guy being that excited to join a team, and he is on our team.”