Oakland Raider Rookies Who Can Surprise in 2012

For the Oakland Raiders to win in 2012, they will need key stars (see: McFadden, Darren) to stay healthy and be productive. However, in a season that is being used as a prologue to the changes expected under new owner Mark Davis and general manager Reggie McKenzie, rookies will have to have some impact to blunt offseason losses.

Here are five rookies that make a surprise impact for the Oakland Raiders in 2012.

Christo Bilukidi

The Raiders have a need on the defensive line.

Yes, there are mainstays (Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly) and there are incumbents (Lamarr Houston, Matt Shaughnessy), but the depth really does fall off a cliff after that. Desmond Bryant is the only holdover from the rotation now that John Henderson, Trevor Scott and Jarvis Moss have exited. Although the Raiders added Dave Tollefson from the New York Giants, there is still a void to be filled. 

Enter Christo Bilukidi.

While he is about as raw as steak tartar by all accounts, he has two things that head coach Dennis Allen and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver value: versatility and work ethic. Most likely, he will be utilized as a two-gap defensive tackle (think Warren Sapp) but has the body and the athleticism to play the five technique in a 3-4 hybrid style defense as well.

Having already made a good impression at a position of need, it is not a stretch to think Bilukidi makes this team. However, I think his ability to be turned loose and just get after the ball-carrier could make him one of the late-round steals of this draft.

Nathan Stupar

When Nathan Stupar was drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round, my first thought was, "Who is this guy?"

So I went to the tape and it showed a high-motor, high-intensity player that would be great for the Raiders on special teams (to start). Remember, last year the Raiders allowed three return touchdowns, two of which were killer in key losses that helped prevent a playoff berth. Too many guys played with poor gap control, did not maintain an assignment, or had the ability to break down and wrap up a ball-carrier and failed.

That is not usually an issue with a Penn State linebacker. They may not be fast, they might not always be the most athletic, but they can usually tackle the guy with the ball.

I think Stupar fits that mold. He is a solid tackler, brings energy and has a football pedigree (nephew of former Raider QB Jeff Hostetler). More players like this will improve a unit that has not been very good outside of the kickers in a few years.

Juron Criner

I know what some of you are thinking—this is not really a "surprise" in the sense that many think the Raiders got another late-round steal with the Arizona wide receiver.

However, let me go on record as saying Juron Criner will be a starter by the end of the year.

Not just solid, but I see him being paired with Denarius Moore by Week 17.

Criner is the type of receiver the Raiders simply have not utilized for as long as I can remember. If anything, he is an inverse of the receiver the late Al Davis coveted. He is more savvy than athletic (though he has a big frame) and he beats teams with his hands and eyes instead of his legs and feet. 

This does not mean that Darrius Heyward-Bey is not going to be productive, but I think that Criner is a much more prototypical West Coast offense wideout. And with a devaluing of speed, you have to make plays in tighter spaces. DHB is still improving there.

I can honestly see a rotation of all five of the projected wideouts playing every game (Moore, Criner, DHB, Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy), but do not be surprised if Criner puts up somewhere between 700-800 yards even if he does not start for the first third of the season.

You heard it hear first.

Conroy Black

The Raiders are thin at corner. We know that. Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer are both castoffs (and Bartell has a dicey neck injury) and DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa are largely unproven.

What that means is that someone can step in and carve out playing time for themselves with this new regime. I think Conroy Black is going to do that. Having watched him play for the University of Utah, I know he has good ball skills. Like DVD, he needs to get stronger, though. 

What I think separates them, however, is that Black has a greater upside and has more of the man-coverage principles than both DVD and Chekwa. He is undoubtedly raw, but again, Black is versatile. He can play both the nickel (against slot receivers that gave Oakland so much trouble) and on the outside.

And who says the Raiders don't value speed anymore? Black ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Utah pro day, proving speed can still kill in the Black Hole.

Aaron Henry

And the player I think that can be the biggest surprise is safety Aaron Henry from the University of Wisconsin. With the NFL evolving into a pass-first league, pass-second league, it is no longer a luxury to have safeties who can hawk the ball. Henry is a converted safety that led the Badgers in interceptions his senior season. More encouragingly, he is very disciplined, something Raider defenders have often lacked. 

The knock Henry had during the draft buildup was that he lacks natural ability and he does not get a great jump on the ball. A lot of that can be attributed to the style of defense that Wisconsin played.

This pick is two-fold because I think a player like Henry can thrive with a newer, more modern system like what Jason Tarver is implementing. Henry can be just the type of defender who can make plays for Coach Tarver: a heady, disciplined player that makes plays when put in position to do so.

A quick comparison on how much this scheme can impact a player is Dashon Goldson. A guy the Raiders could have signed in the 2011 free agent period, Goldson became a Pro Bowler because the 49er defense (which the Raiders will derive some things from) put him in positions to make plays on the ball.

Henry has a chance to do the exact same thing here—not to that level, but to definitely make an impact.

Conclusion

Not every pick the Raiders made or every free-agent signed is going to make the team.

Heck, it is not going to happen for about 60 percent of them.

However, there are some gems in this collection of coal. The players not mentioned (Tony Bergstrom, Jack Crawford, Miles Burris) were not because, frankly, they are going to do what they were drafted for. Each will be a solid contributor, but none will make that large, standout impact. And that is not why they were drafted. The Raiders are going to get younger and have more depth across the board.

That said, I feel the players mentioned will have opportunities to exceed expectations and help the Raiders in their effort to move beyond .500 football and make their first playoff appearance in a decade.