In true Oakland Raiders tradition, Al Davis always said he wanted the best athletes. That is certainly something his team upheld with their 2nd rounder.
Obi Melifonwu first blipped on the NFL radar at the Senior Bowl where he made a handful of pretty spectacular plays in drills. As people grasped his dimensions (6’4″, 220 lbs) and ridiculous athleticism, no doubt the salivating started in earnest. Then he blew up the scouting combine and that was it. The UConn defensive back was destined for the first two rounds of the draft and it seems rather fitting he’ll get to uphold a rich DB tradition in Oakland.
With the 56th pick in the 2017 #NFLDraft, the OAK Raiders select Obi Melifonwu, S. UCONN: Freak specimen. CB/S. Some things never change..
— Dion Caputi (@nfldraftupdate) April 29, 2017
Mocks expert Shawn Spencer covered him extensively for months. Here is what he had to say about who the Raiders are getting.
"“Obi Melifonwu is a starting safety at the next level who wins with athletic ability and instincts. He’s not someone who should be asked to be the lone deep safety. As a result, Melifonwu would fit in anything besides a Cover 1 scheme.His versatility will appeal to teams as he has experience as a safety, cornerback and nickelback. Much like another former Connecticut defensive back, Byron Jones, Melifonwu’s future should be at the safety position.”"
Grade: B-
There is no questioning the upside of Melifonwu. It’s ridiculous. However, there have been questions about his instinct and one could argue the Raiders should’ve filled one of their other needs on defense rather than hitting the secondary for the second time. No doubt they’re hoping a fortified back end will start to make life easier for their front seven, specifically the pass rush led by superstar Khalil Mack.