LB Prospects Like the Idea of Playing for Raiders' Pierce

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce stands out to linebacker prospects as a former Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl champion.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce has quite the leverage when it comes to recruiting, particularly with linebackers.

Not only has Pierce helped change the perception around the coming-up-short Raiders, but hiss track record as an NFL linebacker makes him an enticing head coach.

Linebacker Jordan Magee of Temple said: "It would be great" to play for Pierce when he spoke at the 2024 NFL Combine on Wednesday.

"Just being able to learn from him," Magee said, "because he has a lot of experience in the NFL -- playing and coaching -- just being able to pick up some things, some little details, things like that that would just help my game and help expand my game."

Magee said he has had an informal meeting with the Raiders.

"It went good," Magee said. "I was just talking to a couple scouts, going over defenses, just them trying to test my retention skills, how I remember stuff, am I good at remembering things, things like that."

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce stands out to linebacker prospects as a Pro-Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl champion / © Robert Hanashiro | 2023 Nov 1

Ohio State's Tommy Eichenberg, another top linebacker in this year's draft class, also expressed his admiration for Pierce.

"I haven't met with him yet, but from what I've seen, he's a really, really good dude," Eichenberg said. "I mean, he was a great linebacker, too. And I think linebackers as head coaches is awesome, and that's just another example of a guy that's like -- he's a football dude, and I feel like you always want to play for guys like that."

Pierce isn't the only NFL head coach to have been a linebacker in the league, as Houston Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans, another former Pro Bowl linebacker, comes off his first season as a head coach.

Eichenberg believes there's a correlation for head coaches who were former linebackers.

"I think a lot of linebackers are becoming head coaches, and I think that comes with the leadership that the position comes with," Eichenberg said. "So, I'm not surprised when I see a guy like that [Ryans] being a great head coach, too."

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.