Raiders' Draft Grade: A+

After seeing a majority of the picks made, the Raiders surprised me with a comeback on the second day. I am excited with all of the picks.

First round- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR.

I am so glad Al decided to take the speed demon, but I am especially happy with this pick because he also took a great character guy. He will effectively spread the field, opening all kinds of opportunities for everyone else on the offense. Heyard-Bey has suspect hands, but that can be fixed. You can't teach a 4.3 40-meter time and he also is a two-time Biltnikoff Award finalist.

Second round- Michael Mitchell, S.

Besides the name, I love the way this guy plays. If he can come in and steal a starting spot, he will add a level of physicality that this defense was missing. At 221 pounds, a height at 6'2", and a 40 time of 4.43, he will be a real banger.  In his senior season at Ohio University, he recorded 62 tackles, 3 interceptions, and a sack.

Third round- Matt Shaugnessy, DE

I've never heard of this guy, but he's an interesting prospect. With 29 solo tackles, 60 total tackles, and four sacks, he might be able to sneak into a starting job if Burgess is traded.

Fourth round- Louis Murphy, WR

This by far my favorite late pick. He was a captain for the National Champion Florida Gators, he led the team in receiving yards with 655 (Gators do a lot of reverses and options, so they don't actually throw that much), was second on the team in receptions with 38, and had seven touchdowns. He may be a starter or a good situational player at the least. I have no idea how he fell into the fourth round, but I sure am glad...

Fourth round- Slade Norris, LB

With 19 sacks in his final two years at Oregon State, Norris is a great value pick. He could be effective in third down situations.

Sixth round- Stryer Sulak, DE/LB

I think this is the steal of the draft.  He is a three-time All Big-12 honoree and as a senior, he recorded:

- 55 tackles, 15.5 for a loss.

- 10.5 sacks

-led the NCAA with six forced fumbles.

However, Sulak is a tweener at 6'5" and only 250 pounds, so either he can bulk up and play DE or he will stay where he's at and attempt to get a starting role. Unfortunately, he might just end up on special teams.

6th round- Brandon Myers, TE

All Big-Ten TE, who accumulated 34 receptions and 441 yards. Also tied for the most TDs with four. Will not start, but will be in on 2-tight end sets.

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