Oakland Raiders Draft Preview: How Many Wrong Choices Will Al Davis Make?

'Tis the season for dedicated NFL fans to start combing through pages and pages of NFL mock drafts to find out what type of future prospects will be playing in September for their team.

For us Raiders fans, it is a time to renew the optimism and hopes of seeing a winning season.

I will be the first to admit I know nothing about scouting NFL talent. I just listen to the pundits, read pages and pages of mock drafts, and start spring cleaning until April 24. But just for laughs, I've decided to make up my own four-round mock draft for the Oakland Raiders.

Now this is a two-part deal because I'm projecting what owner Al Davis will do and who I hope the Raiders will take.

Round One

Al's Pick: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech—Al picks and grins when this over-hyped, big-named, injury prone receiver falls into the Raiders' lap.

My Pick: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College—I love this over-sized, jersey filler. He's a solid starter that will be there for the Raiders to snatch up on draft day. This team needs a stout run-stuffing DT and this guy seems to be the real deal. 

Round Two

Al's Pick: Rasheed Johnson, DB, Alabama—Oh, you know Al can't resist picking up a DB. This rangy DB is a solid replacement for stellar draft choice Michael Huff and Derek Gibson's jockstrap.  

My Pick: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State—Since Tim Brown's departure, the Raiders haven't had a solid pass catcher who can go in the middle and dig out passes. This kid's for real. It's a high pick for him, but he's gone by the second round.

Round Three

Al's Pick: Coye Francis, CB, San Jose State—In need of some OL and DL depth, what direction does Al go? Yes! Another DB. Al can't pass up on this speedy San Jose State CB.

My Pick: Antoine Caldwell, OL, Alabama—An OL guy who can play center or guard, this pick adds depth, assuming he's not an immediate starter in either position.

Round Four

Al's Pick: Devin Moore, RB, Wyoming—Having the opportunity to get Georgia's Mohamed Massaquoi or Oklahoma's Juaqin Igesias, Al sees this Wyoming RB as the missing link in the backfield.

My Pick: Quinn Johnson, FB, LSU—I love the SEC. Johnson is a solid football player and a nice insurance policy in case Oren O'Neal's knee isn't 100 percent.

And there you have it. I suppose I could go on, but the NFL Draft is always a crap shoot anyway, and one never knows who's going to be around in the later rounds.

I'll let the professional draft pundits sort that mess out. For now, Mel Kiper, Jr. and I can only hope to get one or two picks right.

Screw consistency, right?

Now, onto the garage to start clearing out that mess.