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

AP was seen scoping out the Bruins, but who was he keeping a close eye on?

The NFL Draft is a little more than a month away and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was recently spotted at UCLA’s pro day. The Bruins’ head coach, DeShaun Foster who was scheduled to become the Raiders’ running backs coach before his current position became available, even posted a picture on social media of him and Pierce together.

So, who was the Raiders’ head coach likely keeping a close eye on down in Southern California?

EDGE Grabriel Murphy

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): 4th Round (ranks 129th overall)

While Laiatu Latu is the headliner among UCLA edge defenders, Las Vegas doesn’t have a pressing need at the position with Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and last year’s first-round pick Tyree Wilson under contract in 2024. However, Koonce’s deal expires at the end of the season and Wilson can play inside on passing downs, so the Silver and Black might look to pick up an athletic pass-rusher to develop in the later rounds.

Last season, Latu might have recorded more sacks but Murphy was right behind him in pressures, 62 to 61, according to Pro Football Focus. Also, the latter had an impressive 18.4 percent win rate that was second among Pac-12 edge rushers behind his future first-round pick teammate.

Below is a snippet from Murphy’s scouting report via Bleacher Report.

Gabriel Murphy has the potential to develop into an effective third-down rusher in the NFL. His athleticism and bend are apparent on film, which helped him win in college and be an effective looper in line games.

However, he does need to improve his use of hands to develop a go-to move or two. Murphy currently struggles with the accuracy and timing of his initial chops to begin his moves, making it difficult for him to “defeat the hands and defeat the man.” But the movement skills are there for him to develop a nasty stick move and build on his overall arsenal.

LB Darius Muasau

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): 7th Round (ranks 253rd overall)

Much like the team’s situation at edge, the Raiders don’t have an immediate need at linebacker but could use some depth for the future. Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Darien Butler and Luke Masterson are all about to enter contract years, so spending a Day 3 pick on Muasau wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Muasau was PFF’s highest-graded Pac-12 linebacker last season with a mark of 81.7 overall. That was primarily due to him recording 15 defensive stops in coverage, the third-most at the position in the conference.

Here’s a brief look at what NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein had to say about the former Bruin.

Linebacker with muscular build and an unrelenting desire to chase after the football. Muasau plays with a phenomenal motor and has the instincts and recognition to get the jump on blocking schemes. He plays with good initial quickness but lacks extended pursuit speed in space. He will take shots downhill to spoil the action, but teams will have to live with missed tackles and inconsistent leverage in his pursuit. Muasau can handle some basic short-zone coverage but could get in trouble if the coverage expands into larger spaces. He has the potential to make the back end of a roster as a late-round pick or priority free-agent addition.

RB Carson Steele

Current draft projection (via NFL Mock Draft Database): UDFA (ranks 289th overall)

With Josh Jacobs officially not returning to Sin City, the front office is expected to turn to a committee approach at running back. That means they’ll likely be stockpiling young backs next month, putting Steele on the table.

Between his two years at Ball State and last season with the Bruins, Steele racked up 3,259 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry over the last three years. Even more impressive, 2,497 of his yards (over 75 percent) came after first contact and he finished with a career average of 3.85 yards after first contact per attempt, via PFF.

Below is a look at what Big Blue View’s Chris Pflum had to say about Steele.

He’s an efficient and decisive runner behind the line of scrimmage who understands his blocking scheme and how to set up his blocks. Steele does a good job of manipulating his tempo and path behind the line of scrimmage to influence defenders’ angles and help out his blockers. He has a good burst and solid acceleration through the hole and is an obviously powerful runner. Steele is difficult for lone defenders to bring down once he gets moving and consistently churns (or falls forward) for extra yards after initial contact.

Other Potential Prospects

• EDGE Laiatu Latu: 1st Round projection (ranks 17th)
• EDGE Grayson Murphy: 7th Round projection (ranks 233rd)
• iOL Duke Clemens: UDFA (ranks 376th)