Did Raiders hit jackpot in drafting a "Violent, lighter NT Vince Wilfork?"
The “Patriot Way” making its way to Raider Nation. The new cultural identity in identifying scheme-fit when transitioning to DC Patrick Graham’s 3-4 base defense. The importance of having a nose that can space-eat. These are all topics we covered in earlier articles. ICYMI the articles are linked for your convenience below:
Fast forward to today and all those things are coming to fruition. To peel back another layer of the onion to get to the core as I always say--I caught up with my close friend and former Pro Bowler Andre Carter.
Why did I hit up my boy? A number of different reasons:
Coached NT Neil Farrell at LSU
Played for Coach Graham while in NE
Understands the “Patriot Way” in defensive scheme
We will be setting up a scheduled time for Dre to pop on my BWF YouTube channel soon (be sure to subscribe at the end of the article and help spread the word).
For now, we turn our focus on the phone conversation I had with Carter in regards to his former player--NT Neil Farrell.
Q: What are the Raider Nation getting in Farrell in terms of football character?
“Good kid, tough as nails, there were times he would throw-up during practice or games and he didn’t tap out.”
Q: Describe his game in one word…
“Violent.”
Q: From a scheme standpoint how do you see him fitting in under DC Patrick Graham’s defense?
“He’s a good fit for what they’re gonna do. He is a traditional old school, throwback, defensive lineman who is very smart, and true technician in stopping the run. He was our best defensive lineman last year.”
Q: What are some things he needs to work on to stay ahead?
“He’s a little stiff in the hips moving laterally and needs to bend and close better (flexbility)--not much of a pass-rusher but when he gets going, he’s hard to stop, just turn on the Alabama game.”
Q: Who would you compare him to in the NFL?
“A lighter NT Vince Wilfork.” [Carter played with Wilfork while in NE]
“Vince’s main thing was we get a packet of just run formations and he would confidently adjust his pre-snap alignment called a “tilt,” once game time arrived because of his film study on offensive formations.
Neil did the same thing and its rare for a DT to pickup in-game cues on the first couple of series. He would hear audibles and line calls and adjust his “tilt” based on the slide protection. His football IQ is off the charts.”
Wilfork and Farrell share a similar physique. Both top 325 pounds. Both are men among boys. Both are strong at POA. I have to be honest, my jaw dropped when Dre gave me the Wilfork comparison but I trust his analysis/judgment.
For the record, I love the Farrell pick, as I graded four of his games in 2021. You can read my earlier article on the Raiders 2022 draft class here. Below are his BWF grades in those four contests:
Week 1: 4.5 | GRADE: 4.5 (@UCLA)
Week 3: 10 | GRADE: 10 (Central Michigan) | Played ½ game due to blowout
Week 4: 2 | GRADE: 2.0 (@Mississippi St.)
Week 9: 10 | GRADE: 10 (@Alabama)
Total: 6.6 (26.5) | R3-R4 prospect
All-22 Coaches film
Now comes my video footage as the film NEVER lies. When evaluating players, you need to grade EVERY SINGLE SNAP. I always say don’t be a “box score reader.” Instead, give that player the respect he deserves by doing the homework before praising or criticizing his on-field play.
Below are things that Farrell does well in run-support. Not much of an interior rusher but he can two-gap and create havoc in the A/B gaps while winning leverage game.
Whether or not Farrell can blossom into the five-time All-Pro remains to be seen--yet it is promising to hear that type of positive feedback from a former Pro Bowl player, who played for both the Raiders and Patriots while understanding the team’s current scheme, playing for Graham.
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