Oakland Raider Draft Strategy 2009

What will make a successful draft for the Oakland Raiders?

The Raiders have obviously decided to fix the offensive line through free agency rather than the draft.

They picked up were three young players in the primes of their careers: third year center Samson Satele who started all 16 games in his two years with the Dolphins and made the all rookie team, 5th year left Tackle Khalif Barnes who started 57 of 60 games in Jacksonville, and Erik Pears a 26 game starter at left (10) and right (16) tackle for the Broncos.

This leaves them free to draft players of need at the WR and (pash rush) DE and Safety.

I think the best thing for the Raiders to do would be to trade their No. 7 for a lower 1st and 2nd or 3rd round pick. A possible trading partner may be Denver who may want to move ahead of San Fran in an attempt to get USC QB Sanchez. Denver has the 12th and 18th overall picks.

However, I think the 7th pick may not be one that a lot of teams will scramble for… But we can always hope! I would also trade any 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th, round picks to move up in rounds two or three to get who I want! These late picks never have impact and we already have depth on special teams, youth and potential. Things that these picks are usually used for anyway.

If the Raider use their No. 7 pick on a WR I think it would be a mistake. If they go WR in the first round, Darius Heyward-Bey (Maryland) would be an Al Davis pick and ideally the Raiders could move back in the draft and still get him. He was the fastest guy at the combine at 4.30. At 6' 2" and 210 lbs, he in a lot of people’s minds is the third best receiver behind Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) and Jeremy Maclin (Missouri).

Crabtree didn’t time in the 40 and the Raiders like measurables so I think they let him slide. Maclin may go before Heyward-Bey too.  Add Percy Harmon (Fla) and Brian Robiske (OSU) to the mix and there are five immediate impact WRs available.

So if the Raiders take a gamble and move back five-seven or even 10 spots down, these guys will still be there. In fact many mocks have Robiske as a 2nd round pick.

If the Raiders opt for a DE Brian Orakpo (Texas), he may be available. However, knee injuries have hampered him in the past and I would stay away from him. So again at No. 7, I would move back and look at other options.

Aaron Maybin (Penn State) and Everette Brown (FSU) are first rounders available well after the 7th pick. 2nd round options may include Connor Baldwin (Cincinnati) 6’4”, 256 pounds, and 4.47—40 (proday) and 4.6 at the combine, Larry English, 6’3”, 251 pounds, and a 4.7—40 time or Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech) 6’7”, 266 pounds, and 4.56—40.

Several safties should be available in the late 1st and 2nd rounds. Louis Delmas (West. Mich.) has the measurables, 6', 202 pounds, and a sub 4.4—40 time. Sean Smith (Utah) is 6’4”, 214 pounds, and a 4.47—40. Patrick Chung (Oregon) is 5’11”, 208 pounds and had a 4.47—40 time.

So ideally the Raiders will move back in the first round and take the best available WR or DE. Use their first 2nd rounder to take whatever they didn’t take in the first. Then with their next 2nd round pick take either a safety or another DE. The third round pick would be whatever was missed by their previous pick….

Here’s a wish list….

Trade with Denver, the 7th overall pick for their 18th overall pick and their second round pick, No. 48.

I like the WR depth way better than the DE depth so I hope the Raiders go

DE, WR, (SS or DE) and (SS or DE) in that order

Then...

1st round No. 18—Aaron Maybin (DE)

2nd round No. 39—Brian Robiske (WR)

2nd round No. 48—Larry English or Michael Johnson (DE’s) or Sean Smith (SS)

3rd round No. 71—best safety if DE was taken last pick and best DE if safety was taken last pick.