Shalom Luani’s long wait came to an end five hours into Day 3 of the NFL draft when the Oakland Raiders selected the Washington State safety 221st overall in the seventh round.
Luani, who played free safety and nickel back at WSU, was drafted despite some concerns about his tackling technique. Per NFL.com’s scouting report, Luani was charged with 31 missed tackles and 11 broken tackles during his two years as a starter for WSU.
Still, as ESPN.com draft analyst Steve Muench observed, “While Luani needs to improve his recognition in coverage, he has the toughness, length, speed and athletic ability to develop into a backup safety and special-teams contributor if he becomes a more consistent tackler.