As the new Raiders front office and coaching staff go about finding talent, they are not limiting themselves to the standard U.S. college prospects. They’re thinking bigger. After signing 17 undrafted free agents following the draft last month, they invited quite a few prospects to their rookie minicamp on tryouts. After day two, the Raiders signed four of those prospects. Among them was Niklas Henning.
Henning didn’t show up on a lot of draft radars, but he sure showed up on the Canadian Football League’s radar. The Queens University offensive tackle became the second overall pick in the CFL draft last Wednesday by the Toronto Argonauts. Two days later, he was in Las Vegas with a host of others to show the Raiders he deserved a contract.
The 6-6, 287-pound offensive tackle was late to the game of football, not really picking up the sport until his senior year of high school. He then played tight end for his first two years at Queens University before switching to tackle. For him to earn a UDFA contract for the Raiders speaks volumes about his raw skillset. It also speaks highly of the Raiders scouting department to recognize his talents and bring him in for a tryout.
The Argonauts will have to wait as Henning works toward making the Raiders roster. And the Raiders and Henning are hoping the Argonauts’ wait will be indefinite.
Henning isn’t the only Raiders rookie signee who was drafted into the CFL. Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was selected in the second round of the CFL Global Draft. Matsuzawa played college ball at Hawaii and, should he make the Raiders roster, would become the first Japanese-born player in NFL history.
