Las Vegas Raider LB Tommy Eichenberg's Game was on Display with the Ohio State Buckeyes: Toughness and Passion

The Las Vegas Raiders' 5th-round selection,5th-round Tommy Eichenberg, has the right stuff to play under head coach Antonio Pierce, and his resume as an Ohio State Buckeye showed it.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) watches the / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg with the 148th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Eichenberg was rated the No. 5 linebacker in the draft by Pro Football Focus.

PFF wrote, "[Eichenberg] is a throwback type of linebacker who loves to hit and defend the run near the line of scrimmage. He was superb in that role in 2022, earning an elite PFF run-defense grade. He is slippery between the tackles, quickly sifting through offensive linemen to get to ball carriers."

The bottom-line analysis on Eichenberg was, "a strong-side linebacker who can find work in early down roles as a Mike/Sam, specifically in a 4-3 defense."

What the Raiders saw in Eichenberg was his intangibles.

As a Buckeye last November, Eichenberg played Maryland with two injured hands. Eichenberg registered 13 tackles. 10 were solo tackles.

Eichenberg was asked after the draft about playing for a team led by head coach Antonio Pierce, edge rusher Maxx Crosby, and linebacker Robert Spillane.

"I think they're really, really tough dudes that love the game of football and play really hard," Eichenberg said. "And that's something that I try to pride myself on, too. And it's something that I hope to add to this team."

Eichenberg was a two-time captain at Ohio State. Buckeye defensive coordinator Jim Knowles once lauded Eichenberg's intensity.

"He’s the type of guy that I can yell at, and he’ll yell back at me," said Knowles. "[...] You know if [the players] believe something, you can have an exchange, and that’s Tommy because he’s passionate."

Eichenberg discussed his passion for the game.

"My love for the game is unmatched," Eichenberg said. "Like there's nothing else I want to do right now in my life. It's hard to turn off, but I love the game. I'm always around it, always just trying to learn. I mean, I can't even name all the things I've done back in college that just revolved around football because I love the game so much, I love the dudes, I love the coaches. I love just everything that comes with it. So, I'm excited to just continue my journey."

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