Do the New Era Oakland Raiders Deserve a Grade D in the Draft?

It’s a new era in Raider Nation. New GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen took to the 2012 NFL draft room in a not so favorable year for the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders had made some moves in the last few seasons, including taking Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft for a third-round pick and trading their first-round pick for Carson Palmer.

Most analysts and critics were opposed to both moves, but the Raiders didn’t have many other options. Al Davis decided to take Pryor in the supplemental draft. Although he lost a third-round pick, he knew he had a first-round pick and would be receiving three compensatory picks for losing free agents CB Nnamdi Asomaugh, OL Robert Gallery and TE Zach Miller.

The 2011 season for the Raiders started very promising, neck and neck for the lead in the AFC west division. Then they were dealt two huge blows.They lost QB Jason Campbell in Week 6 with a broken collarbone and, the week after, lost league-leading rusher Darren McFadden.

Still in the playoff race with Hue Jackson in charge after longtime owner and GM Al Davis passed away, Jackson did what he had to do in an almost impossible trade. With inexperienced Kyle Boller as their backup and newly required Terrelle Pryor as third string, Jackson knew he needed a starting QB to keep the Raiders in the hunt.

Bengals holdout quarterback Carson Palmer was his target. Cincinnati had received plenty of offers for the QB, but they would not let him go simply out of spite. Jackson knew he could pull it off—being a former Bengals coach, he had a great rapport with the Bengals owner. How could Mike Brown resist a first-round pick in 2012 and a second rounder in 2013?

So Palmer, who makes his home in California, packed his bags and made his way to Oakland. He was ecstatic to play for the Raiders and reunite with coach Hue Jackson—they had a history together at USC.

Carson threw himself into the playbook and started forging great chemistry with rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore and second-year player Jacoby Ford. The Raiders' luck couldn’t get any worse: They lost both receivers to foot injuries. The rest is history as the 2011 season ended with the Raiders losing the last four out of five games and getting axed from the playoffs.

Raider Nation had been dealt a huge blow as a once-promising season turned into a disaster and uproar of emotions. But fans knew the man behind it all—that had been a great owner but a crutch in the last decade—was gone, and the future was bright.

Mark Davis, Al's son, didn’t waste any time making moves. From day one, he had his vision for the Raiders to get back to excellence, but he wanted his own guys.

Davis acquired new general manager Reggie McKenzie who had many successful years in Green Bay. McKenzie then cleaned house and acquired the brilliant young mind of new head coach Dennis Allen. Texans quarterback coach Gregg Knapp was hired on as offensive coordinator, and Stanford's Jason Tarver was hired as defensive coordinator. McKenzie also cleared up some cap space that resulted in losing running back Michael Bush, cornerback Stanford Routt and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.

McKenzie, who showed great knowledge of talent and brought in many standouts in Green Bay, was now in charge and addressed the Raiders weakness: offseason moves. He signed cornerbacks Pat Lee and Shawntae Spencer, defensive end Dave Tollefson and tight end Andre Hardy.

Fast forward to the 2012 NFL draft. Oakland has received a grade D on most sports reports.

Why? Because the Raiders didn’t have first- and second-round picks. First- and second-round picks don’t always pan out, though.

The Raiders have made great late-round picks in years past. In 2010 Jacoby Ford was picked 108th overall in Round 4, and in 2011 wide receiver Denarius Moore was picked 148th overall in Round 5. Both players have become leading receivers for the Raiders.

The Raiders' draft room was calmly confident and knew the underrated players in the draft.They stayed focused on the needs for Oakland.

The Raiders' first selection in the 2012 NFL draft came at the end of Round 3 with the first of three compensatory picks (95th overall): Utah offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom. The versatile offensive lineman started his final 38 games for Utah at right offensive tackle

With their fourth-round pick, the second of three compensatory, the Raiders took two-time All-Mountain West First Team Selection LB Miles Burris out of San Diego State.

In Round 5 the Raiders executed a trade with the Detroit Lions and moved back 10 picks to acquire a seventh-round selection. With the first of two fifth-round picks, the Raiders took Penn State DE Jack Crawford. With their second fifth-round selection (third of three compensatory), the Raiders added Arizona WR Juron Criner, who caught 209 passes for 2,859 yards and 32 touchdowns during his collegiate career.

In Round 6, the Silver and Black made DT Christo Bilukidi the first ever NFL draft choice out of Georgia State.

With the seventh-round pick acquired from Detroit, the Raiders chose Penn State LB Nathan Stupar. He became the latest member of his family to join the Silver and Black. Former Raiders QB Jeff Hostetler is Stupar’s uncle. His brother Jonathan is a tight end with the Buffalo Bills.

GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen deserve more than a “D Grade.”

They were dealt a difficult hand and made the best of it to fill the needs of Oakland. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are not a lot of people—including the media—rooting for the Raiders.

Matt Leinart is visiting Oakland this week and reuniting with his quarterback coach from Houston. He is ready to sign, making our quarterback situation look brighter.

The Raiders' 2012 season will be a fresh start, incomparable to past years. There is a new regime and a new face in charge with freedom that has never existed before.

A seemingly destined playoff team last year, the Raiders now have all the right pieces, a quarterback with a lot to prove and coaches that will demand discipline.

This Raider team will be unlike any before. For all you critics who don’t believe in the Silver and Black, time will tell if this new regime will take Raider Nation back to excellence.