NFL Mock Draft: Updated Complete Oakland Raiders Mock Draft
Christmas has come early for fans of the Oakland Raiders in 2012, as not only does the team now appear to have a competent general manager in Reggie McKenzie, but when compensatory draft selections were recently handed out by the NFL the Raiders were among the big winners, picking up a trio of picks.
The great train robbery that was the Carson Palmer trade still leaves the Raiders with no picks in the 2012 NFL draft until the end of the third round. However, that doesn't mean that Oakland can't get better at the end of the month, and here's one man's look at how the Raiders could address their needs in the draft.
1. Round 3, Pick 32 (95): Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
1 of 5The Oakland Raiders ranked 27th in the National Football League in pass defense a year ago, and with cornerback Stanford Routt now in Kansas City, the Raiders badly need to improve their secondary with quarterback Peyton Manning joining Philip Rivers in the AFC West.
Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson is a physically gifted player who was a two-time FCS All-American for the Grizzlies, but questions about the level of competition he faced and whether the 6'2" 204-pounder might be better suited as a free safety could cause his stock to drop.
Given his athletic ability if Johnson is still on the board at the end of the draft's third round, the Oakland front office should be prepared to pounce, as the National Football Post seems to feel that the potential is there with Johnson.
"Snaps his head around quickly, locates the football well and is very calm when looking to adjust and attack the throw at its highest point. Is a former wide receiver that exhibits "plus" ball skill and body control when asked to adjust and come down with the pass.
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2. Round 4, Pick 34 (129): Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota
2 of 5The Raiders may look to continue culling the small-school ranks with their second compensatory pick, as the team should look to address its hole at the right-tackle position by adding an offensive lineman such as South Dakota's Tom Compton.
The 6'5", 314-pound senior manned the left side for the Coyotes but projects as a right tackle at the professional level.
Compton is a technically sound blocker who displayed impressive speed at the combine and improved his stock at South Dakota's pro day according to KELO-TV.
"One of the participants expected to be drafted by an NFL team is former Coyote offensive tackle Tom Compton. Compton wowed scouts at the combine last month and today he was hoping to create even more buzz.
While he only took part in a couple of drills, the 6'6" 314-pounder from Rosemount, Minn., was able to improve upon his bench press number raising the bar 23 times. He hopes it's just another step in his pursuit of a dream.
"You come here your freshman year and you're just trying to get a spot on the team. Then I had my coaches believing in me saying you're going to play in the NFL. It just kind of sticks with you and you keep rolling," Compton said. "This is all part of the dream. Every day it's becoming more of a reality which is fun to see."
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3. Round 5, Pick 13 (148): Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
3 of 5The Raiders have a boatload invested in starting quarterback Carson Palmer, so it would make sense for the Raiders to use at least one of their five draft picks to improve the offensive weaponry at his disposal.
Arkansas wide receiver Greg Childs would present a big target for Palmer at 6'3" and 219 pounds, and after a decent 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, Childs' quicker time at Arkansas' pro day would seem to indicate he's on the road to recovery after a devastating 2010 knee injury, according to Mike Loyko of NEPD.com.
"Childs showed up at the NFL combine in February looking fully healed. He looked great going through drills and put up a very good 40 time of 4.55, which started to turn his draft stock. A few days after the combine, Childs wowed scouts in attendance at the Arkansas pro day, running as fast as 4.45 and looking like his old self.
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4. Round 5, Pick 33 (168): B.J. Coleman, QB, UT-Chattanooga
4 of 5The aforementioned Carson Palmer is also a 32-year-old quarterback with a fairly extensive injury history, and after watching Jason Campbell depart in free agency, Oakland would be wise to consider adding depth under center with their last compensatory pick.
The Raiders may well be able to snare another small-school gem in the 6'3" 233-pound Coleman, who has prototypical size and a strong arm and impressed at his pro day, according to Derek Harper of CBS Sports.
"Coleman is currently projected as a fifth- to sixth-round pick. But he has excellent size at 6-3, 233 pounds, possesses good mobility and has the arm strength to make all the NFL throws. Coleman fell a bit off the radar when he was unable to throw at the Scouting Combine in February due to a broken pinky, but he enjoyed a strong workout in front of representatives from 18 teams at the Mocs' pro day.
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5. Round 6, Pick 19 (189): Moe Petrus, G/C, Connecticut
5 of 5When you don't pick until the end of the third round but have holes to plug on the roster as the Raiders do, sometimes the search for value takes you away from the big names and bright lights.
This mock draft will end as it began, with Reggie McKenzie going off the beaten path a bit in an attempt to fill a need.
The departure of starting center Samson Satele in free agency only amplified an already existent need along the interior of the offensive line, but rather than be forced to reach early with one of their relatively few picks, the Raiders could wait and take a calculated risk on a player such as Connecticut center Moe Petrus.
Petrus was a first-team All Big East performer in 2011 but somewhat puzzlingly wasn't invited to the NFL combine.
The 6'2" 293-pounder may well need some seasoning in the NFL, but his talent and versatility makes him more than worth a late flier, especially given Oakland's intent to run a zone-blocking scheme that favors smaller, more agile linemen.
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