With their third of four seventh round picks, the Oakland Raiders went back to back offensive players for the first time this year adding running back Elijah Hood to the roster. Hood became the third of nine draft picks to be made on the offensive side of the ball this year.
Some were surprised or even upset by the pick considering the Raiders have just signed Marshawn Lynch for for me, Hood might have been the most exciting pick of the four seventh round draft picks. I thought Hood was a sixth round talent and provided good value in the seventh round. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I think Hood has the potential to turn into a bell cow back or anything like that. I like to think of him as a one trick pony with upside and he’s very good at that one trick.
And as it just so happens that trick is the perfect fit for the Raiders backfield. Hood is a punishing back who isn’t very fast or shifty but he gets up to speed quickly and is not easy to bring down. He fights through tackles and always falls forward for an extra yard or two. That’s his trick, he gets the short yards that the Raiders would like to get on a much more consistent basis.
The upside comes from the fact that he’s also a good pass blocker who’s also a capable pass catcher. Though really only as an outlet since he won’t get you many yards after the catch. The other way Hood offers some upside is as a lead blocker. There were some scouts who believed he could convert to a lead full back role at the next level if he didn’t work as a running back.
With Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, the future at the scat back role is set for a long time. Marshawn Lynch will handle the short yardage, between the tackle duties this year and the next. But when he retires or if he gets hurt, Hood offers the compliment to Washington and Richard the Raiders would need.