2012 NFL Draft: Reggie McKenzie Made the Right Choice with Tony Bergstrom

The Oakland Raiders came into the 2012 NFL draft ill-equipped with only five draft picks.  Their first pick would not come until the end of the third round at No. 95.

Personally, I expected the Raiders to go defense.  Reggie McKenzie had expressed interest in nose tackle Josh Chapman of Alabama.  If he was interested in nose tackle, Washington's Alameda Ta'amu was there as well, surprisingly.

When Willie Brown announced that the Raiders selected Tony Bergstrom, I turned to my laptop and did some research immediately.  Turns out, the guy fits perfectly with what the Raiders are trying to do.

But before I address why, let me address why Reggie was smart to draft Bergstrom now rather than later.  Bergstrom was projected to go in the fourth round.  If the Raiders did not take Bergstrom now, they would have missed out on a player they truly desired.  

Some are saying that nose tackle and linebacker are bigger needs.  While linebacker is a big need, the draft has played out in the Raiders favor.

In an incredibly deep class, only a select number of outside linebackers have been drafted so far.  An example of this is outside linebacker Ronnell Lewis, who was projected to go the second or third round. With players like Keenan Robinson, Josh Kaddu and Nigel Bradham all still on the board, the Raiders are confident that they will land a player with great value with their next pick.

Another "need" is nose tackle.  As I stated earlier, it looked like Chapman was a strong candidate for the pick.  He, in addition to Ta'amu, would be more pressing needs if, well, the Raiders actually played in a 3-4 defense.  It's looking more and more likely that the Raiders will run more of a 4-3 with some occasional 3-4.  A nose tackle would not have been a smart pick at No. 95.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's bring up why I like Bergstrom.  He is a great fit offensively.  At 6'5" and 315 lbs, Bergstrom is a little taller than preferred for a zone blocker but should be able to adapt well anyways.

Out of all the scouting reports that I've read, a reoccurring theme is that Bergstrom is a solid player who is athletic, versatile, smart and is a great fit in a zone-blocking system.  The negatives are that his technique is not all that great and he does not generate enough power from his legs.  Those are all things that can be coached.

At the Senior Bowl, Bergstrom worked out at guard and caught the attention of the Raiders.  His versatility also helps the Raiders if there is ever an injury at the tackle position.

What really stands out are Bergstrom's intangibles.  The Raiders have always had the reputation of being the "bad boys" of the league, but Bergstrom is the first step in a different direction.  Going into the season, Bergstrom will be turning 26.  That is because after high school, Bergstrom went on a two-year hiatus to go on a mission with his church.  

Bergstrom has also established a family and clearly has his head screwed on the right way.  

Tony Bergstrom, welcome to the Silver and Black!