Las Vegas Raiders: Darius Stills a possible undrafted steal in 2021

The Las Vegas Raiders‘ 2021 NFL Draft class received mixed reviews, but there is no question that Darius Stills could be a top undrafted free agent from this crop. Stills was an All-American this past season at West Virginia whose fall in the 2021 NFL Draft is likely related directly to his size as an interior defensive lineman.

Despite his lack of ideal measurements (Stills checked in at just over six feet tall, under 280 pounds) it’s pretty rare for guys with his combination of production, energy, tenacity, and explosiveness to go completely undrafted, especially with the All-American, All-conference distinction.

In just a short group of clips, you can see that Stills can line up as a 4i (shaded to the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle), 1-technique (on the shoulder of the center), and even as a 0-technique lined up directly over the center.

If he can play those positions, there’s probably not a position on the defensive line that Stills cannot play, and that versatility will come in handy for new Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

The Las Vegas Raiders somewhat overhauled their defensive line along with Bradley’s arrival, and the opportunity for Stills in Vegas is there to not only make the roster but crack the rotation early on.

Again, looking at Stills’ relative athletic scores through decades of data, it’s all the more shocking that given his production, he went undrafted entirely.

In the last two seasons at West Virginia, Stills racked up 72 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. He also had an interception, blocked a field goal, and was named the Big 12 defensive lineman of the year.

While his effort, aggressiveness, and downright bully mentality have all worked to his advantage in his time at West Virginia, Stills’ aggressiveness can get the better of him at times and cause him to be completely washed out of plays or out of place.

When your strength as a defensive lineman is beating people with quickness, that tends to be an issue at times. Because of his size, Stills doesn’t exactly always have the luxury of being able to stay disciplined in his gap. Part of his appeal as a prospect is the fact that he can just go out there and blow things up, and if he gets to the right spot, even better.

If not, there are residual effects that likely contributed to his going undrafted. Still, even attempting to make sense of it, there are far too many highs on tape for Stills to justify not picking him among 250-plus selections.

The Las Vegas Raiders are getting themselves a steal here and a player who will be able to have a successful NFL career.