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NFL Draft: Oakland Raiders select Elijah Hood

By Brandon Griffin

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) runs against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Natrez Patrick (6) during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) runs against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Natrez Patrick (6) during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Elijah Hood was selected in the seventh round by the Oakland Raiders. What will now become of the former North Carolina running back?

Welcome to the NFL, Elijah Hood.

With the 242nd overall pick, the 24th pick in the seventh-round, the Oakland Raiders picked the former bell cow of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Hood becomes the 17th running back taken from the University of North Carolina. He is the second running back taken in the draft this year following the Arizona Cardinals’ selection of TJ Logan.

Last season Hood carried the ball 145 times for 858 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 142 yards.

Nov 5, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back A. J. Gray (15) and defensive back Corey Griffin (14) during the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 48-20. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back A. J. Gray (15) and defensive back Corey Griffin (14) during the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 48-20. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

Elijah Hood’s best game came in a win against Georgia Tech. In that game, he carried the ball 12 times for 168 yards and three touchdowns.

For his career, Hood finished with 2,580 yards and 29 touchdowns on 430 rushing attempts. He also had 40 receptions for 211 yards.

He finished his career with the ninth-best total of rushing yards and tied for sixth in school history in rushing touchdowns. His 2015 season ranks as the second best single season in rush yards and third best single season in touchdowns at UNC.

The biggest issue Elijah Hood had at UNC was that he didn’t seem to get enough carries, as he failed to get 20 carries in a game once during 2016 and only three times in his career. However, he still found ways to do a lot with the limited touches he got.

Oakland is a great fit for Hood. In fact, I listed it as one of his best fits in the draft preview. Oakland is in need of a big running back. They just traded for Marshawn Lynch, but who knows how long or how well he is going to play.

Hood could spend the season spelling Lynch and then take over full-time as part of the young nucleus moving to Las Vegas in a couple of years or even earlier depending on the desire and conditioning of Lynch.

Related Story: The Dallas Cowboys select Ryan Switzer

If Oakland gives him the ball, unlike his college coaches, Hood will be a great pick for the Oakland Raiders in the years to come.

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