Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: EDGE BJ Thompson, SFA

The Las Vegas Raiders are intrigued by East-West Shrine Bowl standout, edge rusher BJ Thompson from Stephen F. Austin.

The Las Vegas Raiders have a total of 12 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft and since it is less than 10 days away, time is becoming a factor.

As for the Raiders, this year’s draft offers plenty of talent in areas where the team needs to improve.

One late-round prospect who can offer a huge upside is a former Baylor transfer who excelled at the FCS level.

EDGE BJ Thompson, Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

“Thompson will garner attention with his outstanding athletic testing, but there is still a lot of physical and skill development that needs to take place. He doesn’t have enough strength to set firm edges and is unable to generate speed to power as a rusher. His long strides can be an effective weapon as a rusher and when in pursuit, but he needs to crank up his intensity and get bigger to play in the league,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said.

At 6-5 and 240 pounds, Thompson showed exceptional speed for his size.

Most of his match-ups were won with his speed, and when scouts doubted his ability to play against top-tier competition, he went out and put himself on the map during the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas.

During his three seasons at Stephen F. Austin, he recorded 80 total tackles (43 solos), and 20 sacks while earning Third-Team FCS All-American last season and First-Team All-WAC the last two seasons.

Prior to transferring, Thompson played his first two seasons at Baylor and recorded a total of 18 tackles (12 solos), six tackles for losses, four sacks, two pass deflections, and blocked three field goals/extra points on special teams.

Projected as a late-round selection, Thompson can be a good prospect for the Raiders’ defense.

Thompson can offer plenty of upsides if he improves in key areas of his game and improves his speed-to-power technique.

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The 2023 NFL Draft will go from April 27-29 and be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period began at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.

The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this offseason.

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