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Dylan Laube, the running back for the Las Vegas Raiders, won the Coastal Athletic Association Special Teams Player of the Year award in 2023.

Although the Las Vegas Raiders have a number of strong special teams players already, running back Dylan Laube, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, may wind up being the team’s finest player.

Laube, among others, was selected by the Associated Press as an all-purpose player on the 2023 FCS first-team All-American team. In addition, he was selected the Special Teams Player of the Year by the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). With 209.5 all-purpose yards per game, Laube led the FCS.

With the NFL implementing a new kickoff structure, Laube’s importance to Las Vegas will be even more crucial.

“Oh, yeah, I mean, after when that rule kind of came in I was like that is so crucial for me just as a player because now it kind of adds that aspect to the game right now,” Laube stated. “You really need one or two returners. Being a four-year starter is really important to me, and I believe it will add an extra dimension to special teams as well. I think we’re going to have a great time because I can now return kicks, but it will also be really important. Thus, the ride will undoubtedly be enjoyable.”

Special teams figured “very big” in the Raiders’ decision-making process when it came to their final few picks, according to general manager Tom Telesco.

“Those guys, in order to make the team, you’re going to have to be on special teams first and then start developing at your position,” Telesco stated. “Well, that matches with Laube. As a receiving running back, as a running back. He has experience in punt and kick returns. He’s a bright young man who can cover kicks. He is aware that this is how I need to join the team.On special teams, he will have to perform a lot of grunt labor, but he also makes some significant returns. We’re not really sure how this new kickoff regulation will work, especially with us attempting to navigate it. We’re going to look at a few different running styles for the kickoff return. To determine which body types function best, there are two styles: running back and receiver. But one of the main reasons we drafted him late was because of his ability to return kickoffs.”

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GM of the Raiders Tom Telesco Persisted in His Practice of Not Trading During the NFL Draft

During the 2024 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders did not make any transactions.

As has been the case since former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco was general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders did not make any draft-day selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“I mean, if you’re in there, second round we were trying to go up pretty hard,” Telesco stated. “We were attempting to advance even during the fourth round of re-entry. However, there is a small philosophical underpinning to it that I would not want to discuss here. It’s not a ‘Hey, we’re not trading up or down’ kind of thinking. Maybe later on. That’s just untrue. However, in an attempt to improve our chances of capturing the player, we severely reduced the number of players on the board.

In order to reduce risk, we make care to cut off players whose playability, scheme of play, character, or health could negatively affect their chances of making the team. We therefore had numerous conversations about moving up and down. However, the majority of the time we felt good about the athlete when our pick was up. Ultimately, though, you had to carry out the decision and attempt to identify the player who had the highest possibility of helping you win. That’s how things transpired this past weekend.

Telesco talked about his team’s draft strategy before the draft.

“I wouldn’t say one big overriding goal, but I guess just trying to make sure we were drafting players that fit our identity,” he stated. “I’ve already told you that there are needs that we’d like to meet, but those needs do alter occasionally. However, depth is also essential, and having depth throughout your team is crucial. But all you’re doing is attempting to involve everyone in the procedure.There are many people involved in our draft process, including all of the coaches, scouts, front office staff, doctors, and security. Bob Stiriti does all of the background work for us. Thus, there are a lot of individuals working together to compile all the data and make the best decisions possible.”