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Seven most shocking development from Day 2 of NFL Draft

Caption: Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Deshone Kizer (Notre Dame), left, on the red carpet before the start of the NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders double down in the secondary

After picking up former Ohio State corner Gareon Conley in the first round, the Oakland Raiders continued their attempt to rebuild a questionable secondary on Friday. Oakland added former Connecticut strong safety Obi Melifonwu to the mix with its second-round pick (56th overall). There had been some talk leading up to the draft that this workout warrior would go in the first round. He’s a bulldozer of a defensive back, someone that will strike fear in the opposition.

“Big and athletic, he may lack the coverage qualities and instincts needed to work as a “last line of defense” player in a pass-happy division. Melifonwu is an effective downhill tackler who has the ability to match up against tight ends and make a living near the line of scrimmage,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Melifonwu leading up to the draft.

The shocking thing here is that Oakland spent a first-round pick in a similar player in the form of Karl Joseph last year. How Jack Del Rio and Co. plan on using these two safeties will be of great intrigue heading into the 2017 season.

There’s a chance that Obi could actually move to outside linebacker in the Raiders’ scheme. At 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, the former Husky could bulk up a bit and play that position with these. After all, he does have the athleticism to guard tight ends and slot receivers. It’s definitely a shocking pick, but the Raiders obviously have a plan for the young defender.

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