Raiders general manager Tom Telesco told reporters on Monday that it’s been beneficial working with Pierce throughout this NFL Draft process.
“It’s been really good,” Telesco said. “He’s [Pierce] got a great vision of what he wants in the football team, and he hasn’t deviated from that, which really helps the personnel department as we’re trying to match up players for our football team. He’s got a great feel for evaluating players, which I’m not surprised. He played at a high level, he’s coached at high school level, college level, the pro level. Evaluating players is all the same, whether they’re 15 years old or they’re 25 years old.
“But he’s got a really good feel for that. What’s been nice [is], since he was in college recently, he knows some of these players already; he may have recruited them, may have known about them, he may have played against them when he was coaching in college. So, that’s been helpful.But I think the biggest thing is, he has a real vision of what he wants. And he hasn’t gone like this [winding path] with that, so it really helps us kind of identify exactly who’s going to fit as a Raider.”
Pierce is not only looking for talent, but he’s looking for who can embody the Raider way. He, himself, had that edge to him all throughout his playing career, so if anyone knows what a player with something to prove looks like, it’s Pierce.
Telesco and Pierce have a big stretch of days ahead of them, but with their two great football minds put together, fans should be hopeful that their team will prosper from this year’s NFL Draft.
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