2007-2008 Raiders Draft: Loaded Young Roster

The experts on ESPN/NFL Network love to bash Al Davis...Let's not forget various beat writers and anyone else who can get in front of a mic. 

They look for anything to pick on the Raiders about, especially come draft time.

Everyone expects the Raiders go after nothing but DB’s along with speedy skill positions players. We’re two weeks past the 2009 draft, and I thought I’d show these experts what Al Davis has done for this team during the 2007 and 2008 draft..

Lets start with the 2007 Draft...

1st Round: (1) QB: JaMarcus Russell               2nd Round: (38) TE: Zach Miller

3rd Round: (64) DE: Quentin Moses                3rd Round: (91) OT: Mario Henderson

3rd Round: (99) WR: Johnnie Lee Higgins        4th Round: (100) RB: Michael Bush

4th Round: (110) CB: John Bowie                    5th Round: (138)  DB: Erick Frampton

6th Round: (175)  FB: Oren O’Neal                 7th Round: (254)  WR: Johnathan Holland

JaMarcus Russell is our starting Franchise QB.

Zach Miller is our starting TE and future Pro-Bowler.

Quentin Moses didn’t make it out of Training Camp and since then has hung on with the Dolphins. He’s recorded 11 tackles in his short career.

Mario Henderson started at LT and held down Richard Seymour, Mario Williams, and Gaines Adams to ONE sack total.

Johnnie Lee Higgins is a home run hitter on special teams and with explosive YAC potential (watch his TD vs. Buffalo).

Michael Bush produced big time when asked to do so. This man can easily start for a number of teams.

John Bowie was on IR last year and has done nothing and will always be known as the "pick/guy" traded for Randy Moss.

Eric Frampton was released, and is now a part of the Vikings. We’re not missing much as he has not been able to get an INT or FF in his time there and in Detroit.

Oren O’Neal has shown promise behind Justin Griffith. Now that Griffith is gone and O’Neal has begun to heal from his season ending injury last year, we have a starter at the FB position.

Johnathan Holland has stuck around as a special teams player this past year.

2007 Draft has produced: Five Starters with one guy who should start (Bush).

Now the 2008 Draft...

1st Round: (4) RB: Darren McFadden            4th Round: (100) S: Tyvon Branch

4th Round: (125) WR: Arman Shields              6th Round: (169) DE: Trevor Scott

7th Round: (226) WR: Chaz Schilens

Darren McFadden was the best "playmaker" available this year and Al snatched him up over Glen Dorsey and Vernon Gholston. Turf toe hampered him all year after we got a big game from him vs. Kansas City.

Tyvon Branch did a good job with a cast on this past year. He showed us he can catch the ball and cover some room.

Arman Shields had a solid combine after being injured in college only to be put on IR this past year. We’re all anxiously waiting to see what he can do.

Trevor Scott came in as a pass rusher on passing downs, and he got the job done!

Five sacks for the 6th Round rookie, outstanding!

Chaz Schilens battled injuries throughout the year, but still managed to beat out veteran Ronald Curry for the starting job alongside Javon Walker. He’s got the size and skills to get the job done; let’s see if he can stay healthy.

2008 Draft has produced a future stud in McFadden and three tweeners who will compete for starting jobs this upcoming year (Branch, Scott and Schilens). That isn’t too shabby considering no second or third round picks.

The DeAngelo Hall experiment burned this squad by acquiring Hall and dumping a second  and fifth in this draft.

I'd say it was a "good" draft considering the Hall trade sucked...

We’ve gotten eight starters and two guys who can start when needed out of 15 picks in two years.

Not too bad when you sit back and look at teams who don’t have picks from certain draft classes no longer on their team. That's 10 positions addressed with guys in their first and second year in the NFL.

They can only get better!

And with our six picks in the 2009 Draft, we should get two starters and key role-players that should develop under our coaching staff. One thing is evident Nation, the future is bright in Oakland...