2012 NFL Draft: Oakland Raiders’ Miles Burris Was a Good Draft Choice

In the fourth round of the NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Miles Burris from San Diego State University.

This was a particularly important pick for the Raiders, considering they didn’t have a draft pick until the third round. So, unlike other teams, the fourth-round draft pick was only the Raiders second pick. General manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen had to make it a good one.

And they did by selecting Burris.

Some believe that the Raiders definitely needed a linebacker, probably more than any other position. They lack depth in that area, according to one Pro Football Talk. And although their current starters may be guys like Rolando McClain, Aaron Curry and Philip Wheeler, there’s not much left after that.

In that sense, Raiders' fans could only hope that Burris is the kind of depth that they are looking for.

At 6’2” and 246 lbs, Burris is an intelligent and tough player. If the Raiders were looking for a versatile outside linebacker, then they may have gotten one. But they may have also gained an inside linebacker as well.

Throughout most of his college career, Burris was an inside line backer.

In his last season though, he transitioned into an outside linebacker and still displayed some comfort in that position. In the 2011 season, Burris recorded a total of 76 tackles and eight sacks. In the Mountain West Conference, he led the division in tackles for a loss.

 

One thing to note about watching Burris is that he’s a great tackler and always on the move. Wherever the ball may be, you can bet that Burris is never too far away.

 

Although Burris will give credit to Rocky Long’s 3-3-5 system, Burris’ great performance was reflection of his character and the kind of player he is.

He’s exactly the type of player that the Raiders would want; C...

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