3 NFL Draft prospects Antonio Pierce likely eyed at Miami’s pro day

A handful of defensive and interior offensive line prospects from ‘The U’ in this year’s draft class

With the NFL Draft about a month away, it’s no surprise that Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has been busy visiting a handful of pro days recently. On Monday, Pierce was spotted at the University of Miami and while all 32 teams were represented, Mike Cugno of CBS Miami reported that Pierce was the only head coach in South Beach.

So, let’s take a peek at who AP was likely keeping a close eye on.

DT Leonard Taylor III

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): 3rd Round (ranks 99th overall)

While the Raiders have signed or re-signed a few defensive tackles in free agency, John Jenkins and Adam Butler are on one-year deals and in their 30s. So, the team could still look to spend a mid-round pick on Taylor to develop him for the future.

The former Hurricane didn’t put up impressive statistics in college, but he does have potential as a pass-rusher. In 2022, he had the second-highest pass-rush win rate (16.2 percent) among ACC defensive tackles behind only first-round pick Calijah Kancey, per Pro Football Focus. Taylor was almost as successful this past season with a win rate of 14.7 percent, fifth-best at the position in the conference.

Below is a brief look at his scouting report from Bleacher Report.

He has a good frame, is hard to move with one-on-one blocks against the run and has shown a few pass-rush moves he can win with. His biggest flaw is his pad level, which is the primary cause of many of his issues. When the Hurricane does keep his pads down, he’s hard to block and very disruptive.

iOL Javion Cohen

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): 5th Round (ranks 135th overall)

Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After quarterback, Las Vegas’ biggest offensive need is in the trenches. They currently don’t have a starting right guard or tackle and need depth across the board, so Cohen could be an option as an early Day 3 pick.

At Miami and Alabama, he was solid in pass protection with only 19 pressures (one sack) surrendered on 767 pass-blocking snaps, via PFF. His 75.8 pass-blocking grade this past year was 11th-best among ACC guards, and his 80.8 mark ranked sixth among SEC guards.

Below is a look at what Brandon Thorn had to say about Cohen’s run-blocking via the offensive lineman’s scouting report on B/R.

Cohen wins by playing square and maximizing his girth and size on vertical double-teams to cover up and secure the first-level defender in the post with heavy hands, forearms and shoulders to deliver jarring collisions on second-level targets in confined spaces. He can engulf and blot out defenders on angle-drive blocks and works hard to strain and stay attached against shed attempts, but he has shaky sustain skills due to a stiff lower half, high pad level and middling reactionary quickness.

S/LB James Williams

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): 5th Round (ranks 147th)

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is known for using a lot of three-safety sets and having an affinity for the safety/linebacker hybrid type of players. That’s what Williams is, recording 645 career snaps in the box and 753 as a deep safety, per PFF. Also, he got even more experience playing linebacker at the Senior Bowl.

Primarily lining up as a strong safety last fall, Williams led the position group in the ACC with an impressive 85.6 PFF coverage grade. That was primarily due to allowing a 56.7 completion percentage when targeted and yielding a reception once every 23.5 coverage snaps.

Here is a look at what NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein has to say about the Miami product.

Williams is a physical safety with a long, athletic frame. While it’s fun watching him run and strike from high safety, it is much less fun watching his coverage confusion. He doesn’t see the game as clearly as teams might like right now, but he has the athleticism and cover skills to tighten up the windows on tight ends in man coverage. Williams might need a year to add weight and keep working on his game, but his traits and playing demeanor should earn him a role as a box safety or nickel linebacker.

Other Potential Prospects

• S Kamren Kinches: 2nd Round projection (ranks 64th)
• iOL Matt Lee: 7th Round projection (ranks 223rd)
• CB Jaden Davis: UDFA projection (ranks 333rd)