For the Oakland Raiders, Which Three Positions of Need Are Most Important?

About a year ago, there was a lot of buzz generated by the thought of how a player like Darren McFadden could help the club. A number of writers thought the Raiders didn't need another running back, that they could have been better served with Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston, or even trading down.

Instead, against all logic, they took McFadden.

To this date, it's still the questionable call, as McFadden's first season was a difficult issue. From fighting coaches, to a turf toe, to being used sparingly, he wasn't the splash impact player anyone intended.

But at the same time, it does show the simple problem involved in the draft with hanging all your hopes on one player.

One player won't solve a team's issues. You can have Joe Montana, for example. What if he didn't have a line to protect him? What if Emmitt Smith didn't have the line that could give him running lanes? The list goes on.

Take Andrew Walter as an example. Drafted to be our quarterback of the future, he had the unenviable task of trying to be the starting quarterback for Oakland in 2006 once Aaron Brooks fell apart.

After a particularly rough time with 46 sacks, a 2-6 record, and three touchdowns against 13 interceptions, it wasn't that the quarterback was horrid, but he had turned shell-shocked—most of the time running for his life. To that end, it wouldn't matter who we had taking snaps—no one would thrive. Not Ken Stabler, not Jim Plunkett...no one.

Looking at the Raiders this year, three key spots keep coming up as mentionable: a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, and a defensive tackle. Each position has its own great slots and great promise. However, each is important for its own reasons.

At wide receiver, it's the ability to get a ball downfield, convert the 3rd-and-5+ play, or even the deep threat. The liability is that if your quarterback hasn't got time to check through the receivers, you run into the Andrew Walter problem. Of course, you could use the solution of shorter, faster plays.

At offensive tackle, you build up the pocket, giving the quarterback time to check off. You can also use the size-speed factor that JaMarcus Russell used a few times last year in junk time.

Taking a tackle also could open the door if Jeff Garcia starts for Oakland. The liability would be if you pick another player who commits a lot of false starts, isn't ready for the big time, or has a lot of bad habits.

Lastly, on the defensive side, it comes down to stopping the run or using a more sack-oriented defense. Stopping a running back could be a side bonus, but in this case, it needs to be priority No. 1.

Finding a run stuffer or a player that forces the position to dedicate more than one blocker can be useful as well.

Guys like Michael Crabtree are useful, but again, it has to be weighed against who is still up for grabs. Names like Andre Smith, B.J. Raji, Aaron Maybin, or Michael Oher could be considered.

Probably the biggest wild card is the idea of swapping the pick to either move up and take a shot at a big name—but would it be worth it?

I like the Raiders keeping the No. 7 pick. But to be honest, I'm starting to think stabilizing the offensive line would be great for the developing team.