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Raiders' draft shows confidence in LBs Heeney, Ball

Related Topics: American football positions

The Raiders added talent to several position groups in last week’s NFL Draft.

They needed an immediate impact safety. Hello, Karl Joseph. They needed a rotational pass rusher. Enter Shilique Calhoun. They needed a complimentary running back, someone adept receiving out of the backfield. DeAndre Washington, enter stage left.

There were a few fields left untended, interior linebacker chief among them. That says something about the Raiders confidence in those already on the roster.

Malcolm Smith seems set for another season anchored in the interior. Last year, he played nearly every snap.

Ben Heeney joined him as a three-down option late in the year, after several failed veteran experiments.