MOBILE, Ala. -- Raiders coach Jon Gruden leaves a strong impression on most people, and Andy Isabella’s first run-in with his Senior Bowl coach is something he will never forget.
“He’s a funny guy,” Isabella said of Gruden. “The first time I met him I was taking the elevator down to practice. It stops, and he walks in. So it’s just me and him in the elevator. So, I was like ‘Oh crap.’ That was the first time I met him.”
Isabella, a 5-foot-8 wide receiver from University of Massachusetts was pleasantly surprised. He wasn’t expecting Gruden to know who he was.
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“It was cool,” Isabella said. “He knew exactly who I was, and I knew who he was, obviously, so it was kind of cool just getting to meet him. Just working with him is awesome. Fun guy, lots of energy, always positive. He gets you going for sure.”
Isabella’s college stats are impressive to say the least. He recorded 102 receptions for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season. In the team’s final game against Georgia, Isabella caught 15 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
Isabella broke the 1,000-yard mark in his junior season as well, recording 65 receptions for 1,020 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Raiders are overhauling their wide receiver group and could use a player like Isabella on the roster. Jordy Nelson is the lone notable receiver on the roster headed into 2019.
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Isabella has versatility. He played in the slot in his sophomore year, and then more on the outside in his final two seasons. He did report that Gruden and his staff put him primarily in the slot for the first two days of practice.
The only thing going against Isabella is his size. At 5-foot-8, he is probably limited to being a slot receiver, even though he has the speed to run outside. He claimed at Senior Bowl media day to have run a 4.26 hand-timed 40-yard dash. He is also known as a very skilled route runner.
Isabella is projected to go in the latter part of the draft between rounds 4-6.