Raiders Prospect Spotlight: UCF Safety Richie Grant

The Las Vegas Raiders badly need a reliable, young safety. Luckily for them, this year’s class has many enticing options. Among these options is UCF’s Richie Grant. While he is not perfect, he may be highly coveted by head coach Jon Gruden and the team’s brass.

One of the very first things that you notice about Grant on tape is his confidence. As one of the most integral members of the UCF defense, he is involved in a lot of tackles. After each one of these, he is sure to be talking trash to the ball carrier. This not only gets in the offense’s heads, but it keeps his energy level high as well.

Not just a loud voice, Grant has a knack for coming down with the football. In his three years as a full-time player, he was able to snag ten interceptions, including six in 2018. This ball-hawking ability is a role the Raiders badly need to be filled. He does this in a variety of ways as well, lining up in the slot or deep in “centerfield”.

In addition, Grant does not have the size concerns that come with many other versatile safeties in this class. At 6’0″ and 197 pounds, he has a perfectly fine build and is plenty athletic. After running a 4.49 40 yard dash and jumping broad jump of ten feet, the UCF product only built on his standout Senior Bowl performance.