2019 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile
Name: David Sills
Position: WR
School: West Virginia University
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 210 pounds
Round Projection: 3
Stats
Hands
With a player transitioning from another position, worry exists about how skills translate. With Sills, his ability to catch the ball correlates to his former position. When he converted to receiver from quarterback, Sills brought the ability to squeeze the ball, despite defenders smothering him. As a result, excels at the contested catch. If a corner or safety hangs off Sills, he has the toughness to fight them off and make the grab.
Speed
If you are looking for a burner, Sills is not the one for you. However, he flashes the ability to excel on deep routes, due to long stride and gathered speed. That is to say, while he won’t torch a defender off the line, he will increase his speed while streaking down the field.
Route Running
Despite the transition, Sills adapted to the nuance of receiver play. First, he will not tip his routes. In a game where film study and tells can turn a phenomenal talent into an average player, Sills stays ahead of the game. As a result, he disguises the route with th same game, explosion and gait from route to route.
Route Tree
Although he towers over most slot corners, Sills appears comfortable in a variety of places on the field. When he lines up on the outside, he favors the deep out, fade and post with regularity. However, do not rule out the screen and hitch. When the 6’4” Sills slides on the inside, he feast on the slant, using his frame to box out the corner, giving the quarterback a big target on a short pass. Meanwhile, Sills’ frame will force decision on rub routes. While technically illegal, teams use them to erase coverage.
Agility
If there were any part of Stills that lacked, quick twitch would sit at the top of the list. While not slow, Sills’ angular shape prevents him shaking a corner with an explosive first step.
Raiders Fit
The Raiders lack help at wideout. With Jordy Nelson at the end of his career and no conceivable threat, Sills makes sense. In Oakland’s passing game, Gruden likes bigger receivers that can run efficient routes. With Sills, he possesses the intermediate route abilities that the Raiders crave. In addition, in the red zone, he will not shy away from the fade versus smaller corners. Moreover, with three first round picks and five in the first three rounds, Oakland could afford to draft a wideout in the third round, after loading up on defense in the first two.
