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UNC Football: Elijah Hood ‘turned heads’ at Raiders rookie minicamp

By Zack Pearson

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former UNC running back Elijah Hood already turning heads at Raiders minicamp

While a lot of the attention has centered on new Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, other former University of North Carolina Tar Heels players are standing out.

With NFL teams beginning rookie mini camps, just a few months before training camps, teams are getting their first look at their newly drafted player.

One member of the Oakland Raiders has stood out early on and to UNC fans, that’s really no surprise.

Running back Elijah Hood was listed as one of the players to watch coming out of this draft after being selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Hood joins a backfield featuring Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch, who came out of retirement to play for his hometown team.

While Hood looks to hopefully create a dominating tandem with Lynch, he’s already getting some positive reviews.

Here’s what Albert Breer of MMQB wrote on Hood:

"Want a sleeper coming out of last weekend’s rookie minicamps? Keep an eye on Oakland’s seventh-round pick Elijah Hood, a 232-pound hammer of a tailback who turned the heads of the offensive staff."

The Raiders hosted their rookie minicamp during the weekend of May 5 and will have OTA offseason workouts in late May and early June. They will host a mandatory minicamp from June 13-15.

Hood joins a Raiders team that was in contention for a first round bye in the NFL Playoffs before quarterback Derek Carr went down with an injury.

The team will have a new look in the backfield with the additions of Lynch and Hood, but it’s a position that will be a strength of the team.

During the rookie minicamp, Hood talked about how big of a fan he has been of Lynch:

"“Marshawn Lynch, growing up watching him play, honestly, as a runner, that’s one of the running backs I tried to model my game after the most; I mean, Beast Mode,” Hood said.“I just can’t wait to be in that running back room with him. He has so much to offer. He’s a veteran. The way he conducts business, he’s a professional."

If Hood turns out to be a similar type of back that Lynch is, the Raiders offense could be one of the best in the league for a long time.

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