Re-visiting Raiders’ 2021 NFL Draft class: Where are Alex Leatherwood and 6 other picks now? – Silver And Black Pride

Maybe its just me, but it doesn't feel that long ago that we were debating who the Las Vegas Raiders would or should select with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Now, those players are entering their fourth season and, for some, the final year of their rookie contracts.

The Raiders 2021 class was a bit of a mixed bag. Four out of seven picks are still on the roster and are projected to be starters during this upcoming season, which is a good hit rate. However, the other three are either out of the league or barely clinging to their careers.

So, lets take a look at where these guys are and get some updates on how theyre doing.

The Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock era was known for making reaches in the first round of the draft, Leatherwood being one of the biggest. He started as a rookie, first at right tackle before sliding inside to guard, but played poorly and was released the following year when Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler took over.

The Alabama product was picked up by the Chicago Bears after getting cut by Las Vegas, but he only took 32 snaps in Chicago, per Pro Football Focus, before getting let go the following season after struggling in the preseason.

He did sign to the Cleveland Browns practice squad but never saw any game action and wasnt re-signed this offseason, making him a current free agent. He might get picked up if another club has an injury to an offensive lineman, but its looking like Leatherwood will go from first-round pick out of the league in just a few years.

[UPDATE: 5/29 11:34 a.m. PT]: ESPNs Adam Schefter reported, about an hour after this article was published, that Leatherwood has signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. So the former first-round pick gets another chance to revive his career.

Outside of a sophomore slump in 2022, Moehrig has been a good player for the Silver and Black. Hes coming off a strong campaign with three interceptions, eight passes defended and 83 total tackles, all of which were career-highs. The former TCU Horned Frog is one of the Raiders projected starters from this draft class and may be in store for a contract extension this summer.

After a couple of pedestrian years where he struggled to see the field, Koonce had a breakout season last fall with eight sacks and 43 total tackles. For comparison, he entered 2023 with just two career sacks and 12 tackles.

Much like Moehrig, the Buffalo product is a projected starter heading into training camp and might receive a raise soon. The Raiders could use another edge rusher to play on the other side of Maxx Crosby for the long haul, and Koonces play a year ago gives them an in-house option.

Deablo is an interesting case. He became a starter toward the end of his rookie season and has held down that spot since then, serving as the teams third projected starter from the 2021 draft class. However, the third-round picks play has been average at best and the team could find an upgrade over him.

With Robert Spillane out playing Deablo last year and also entering a contract year, in addition to adding Tommy Eichenberg in this springs draft, this could be Deablos last season with the club.

You might not remember Gillespie as his tenure with the Raiders didnt last long. He participated in just 13 regular season snaps defensively as a rookie and was traded to the Tennessee Titans for a conditional seventh-round pick during training camp the following season. However, he didnt make the Titans roster.

Since then, Gillespie has been on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs practice squads and had a brief stint with the Houston Texans sandwiched between those stops. The Chiefs re-signed him earlier in the offseason but then waived him at the beginning of May. Injuries have haunted the Missouri product throughout his career, which is likely coming to an end.

Hobbs is the fourth and final starter who is still on the roster from the draft class and is arguably the best player to come from it. When healthy, hes proven to be a valuable slot corner who can cover the flats and play the run. The problem is hes been bitten by the injury bug over the last two years, missing 10 games during that timeframe.

Extending the Illinois product will be another tough decision the front office has to make soon as an argument could be made to get ahead of re-signing him or seeing how this season plays out.

After failing to make the roster as a rookie, Morrissey is another guy the fan base may have forgotten about. He managed to earn a spot on Las Vegas practice squad but was picked up by the Houston Texans in October of 2021.

The Pittsburgh product got some playing time in Houston, participating in 14 games with four starts in three years, but was primarily on the Texans practice squad over the last two years. This offseason, he inked a future/reserve contract with the New York Giants, where hell play for former Raiders offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo.

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Re-visiting Raiders' 2021 NFL Draft class: Where are Alex Leatherwood and 6 other picks now? - Silver And Black Pride