The Oakland Raiders selected Marquel Lee with their fifth round pick last April, selecting the Wake Forest product with the No. 168 pick overall. Despite being selected so late, Lee actually won the starting middle linebacker job last summer, beating out the likes of Ben Heeney and Cory James.
Unfortunately for Lee, an ankle injury would sideline him in the middle of the season, and the team brought in NaVorro Bowman to be the new starter in the middle. Bowman would not relinquish the job, and Lee was forced to spend the rest of the season as a reserve.