ALAMEDA – Eddie Vanderdoes knows his UCLA game tape is inconsistent. The powerful defensive tackle admits he wasn't always at his best, especially after tearing his ACL in 2015. Before that, he was difficult to stop. Afterward, he wasn't the same player. He doesn't blame the knee.
He struggled with ankle injuries and weight issues in 2016, a lackluster campaign by his own standard. Since that season ended, Vanderdoes has returned to 100 percent. His ankles are fine. His knee is great. And he lost 40 pounds heading into the NFL scouting combine, preparing for a return to his old self.
The Raiders see great potential in the former Bruin and made him their third-round pick on Friday evening. The Auburn native was excited by the prospect, and believes the Raiders will get his absolute best. His voice was passionate, his determination clear even on a conference call with local press.
"I am going to be the player I was earlier in my career," Vanderdoes said. "I had a bad season. That wasn't me. That's not the person that I am. That's not the character that I hold. I'm definitely going to bring that to the Raiders' defensive line. I'm going to bring that energy and I'm really happy to be an Oakland Raider."
The Raiders will be thrilled if that's true. They liked what he showed at the Senior Bowl and the NFL scouting combine, where he showed traits that should translate to NFL production.
"I am definitely back 100 percent, very confident with the combine, the Senior Bowl," Vanderdoes said. "I got my explosiveness back. I got my speed back, my athleticism back. I am definitely at the top of shape right now, so I'm ready to get back to work and show them the player that they saw on the film and the player that they wanted to draft and I'm also looking to turn even more heads and do things that some people might expect that I couldn't do."
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That includes rushing the passer, being a consistent three-down tackle in the Raiders scheme. He might be a rotational player first, filling the void created when Stacy McGee left in free agency.
"He's a good, active defensive lineman that we think his best football is in front of him," Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said. "He had an ACL (injury) a couple of years ago. His weight has been up and down. We expect him to come in here and be a real professional and work hard with (head strength and conditioning coach) Joe Gomes and the strength staff and get himself ready to roll. He needs to come in here and add depth to our defensive line and give us a little interior push."
Vanderdoes believes he can do more than that if he does things right. If his weight stays down, strength stays up and he learns the system well, he wants to compete for a significant role as a rookie.
"I'm coming in expecting to contribute and play right away," Vanderdoes said. "That's the mindset that I've always had. I've came with that mindset that I need to be the guy to step in and do what I do and dominate. I definitely think people slept on me a little bit this past offseason.
"I love the fact that (the NFL) slept on me, I think that's what motivated me every morning waking up, knowing that I get to prove people wrong. I think I've done a good job so far of that, and I'm going to keep doing as well being an Oakland Raider because I know I'm at the bottom again. I have to work my way back up."
