In the seventh round of the NFL Draft Saturday, the Oakland Raiders selected Missouri Western defensive end David Bass with the 233rd overall pick. He is a guy that most college football viewers ave never seen or heard of, but he has some serious talent. He was a four-year starter in college and dominated the competition. He broke the school record for sacks by tallying 39.5 in his career.

Bass measures in at 6’4″, 262 lbs. He ran a relatively sluggish 40 at 4.79 seconds, which knocked his stock down. He still had a fifth round grade from some observers. Bass played in the East-West Shrine Game and shined during practices against high level competition, showing that the promise and ability displayed on tape was not a fluke. Bass clearly would have excelled no matter what school he had attended.

It is likely that Bass can be a hybrid DE/OLB in the NFL and allow the Raiders to more effectively switch from 4-3 to 3-4 and back again at will. He is extremely quick and can diagnose plays easily to disrupt the offense. He has natural pass rushing moves and good speed off the edge, playing faster than his 40 time would suggest.

Hopefully, the acquisition of Bass will enable Jason Tarver to further implement his hybrid defense. Bass can both defend the run and rush the pass from the DE or OLB position. He seems to be a key piece going forward as Oakland seeks to establish its defensive scheme with new personnel.

— SilverAndBlackPride.com —