An Oakland Draft Dream

Thomas WarrickDec 5, 2009

1^st round 7^th overall

2^nd round 6^th overall

3^rd round 5^th overall

TOP NEWS

Bleacher Report2w

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

3^rd round 25^th overall

4^th round 7^th overall

5^th round 6^th overall

5^th round 27^th overall

7^th round 7^th overall

These are our projected picks for Oakland Raiders Next Year. Many fans complain about how Davis is a terrible GM, but Davis has nailed several late round picks over the last few years and actually picks just about as well as most teams in the NFL. The only difference is that the top of our draft has not been as well. I do not think that Cable is the next great head coach of the NFL but he does not need to be replaced this year because if he is no head coach will want this job. Period. Cable has done a good job cleaning up our roster and one more year should get the bottom feeders off of our roster. The problem with changing coaches so often is that talent is not developed and those who underachieve stay year after year. So with our post season hopes over and a few games left to play, the look to the future begins. To this point we have had several bright spots. Assuming that Al Davis doesn’t hire a GM and retains Cable, the following is a break down of our roster who should stay and players I have seen that can improve our team.

QB-Gradkowski, Russell*, Frye

Gradkowski has played well and is still young. He has experience and is a pretty good leader. Russell was drafted too high to give up on now, but he must restructure to stay if he doesn’t we should look for a QB late. Frye is another player who has potential and experience, for how cheap he can be a very capable back-up.

Potential Draft Picks

Zac Robinson- 6-7^th round- Oklahoma State. He is mobile and has lots of experience throwing the football. He could easily develop into a very good number 2 QB.

Dan Lefevour-6-7^th round-Central Michigan. Very similar to Tebow. Has great running ability, but throwing ability needs some work. Could be worth a late round pick to develop.

RB- McFadden, Fargas, Bush

We are definitely set here. We need all three because they all have very specific purposes. McFadden is an incredible athlete which needs touches catching and running. Fargas is the tempo setter. He gives absolute effort and is an example to all teammates of the correct way to do things. Bush is the short yardage back/ backup. All are capable of being the feature back. Fargas or Bush could be used as trade bait, with Bush being the most likely to be moved.

Potential Draft Picks (If Fargas or Bush happen to get traded)

Montario Hardesty- 4-5^th round- Tennessee. He is very elusive and strong, a senior who has really came on this season. Being able to watch him personally, he will make a very good back-up at the next level. He has good hands, excellent vision, and runs extremely hard.

Chris Brown- 6-7^th round- Oklahoma. He would be a starter for many of the other teams in the nation, but because of Peterson and then Murray he has had to take a back seat. He is a very good runner and experienced. He can pass protect and catch the ball.

FB- Lawton, Russell

O’neal is one of my favorite players, but he is way too injury prone and was already a sixth year senior at Arkansas State because of injury. Lawton is a very good lead blocker, and Russell ads the playmaking ability from the position you want. I would love to see the Raiders draft a fullback in the Jon Richie mode.

Potential Draft Picks

Richie Brockel-7^th round- Boise State. He is a very good blocker, for a team that continually runs the ball well. Has played tight end and fullback. Has pretty good size.

WR- Schillens, Heyward-Bey, Murphy, Higgins*, Miller*, Watkins*

Schillens is our number one and is very capable in that role, he was definitely a steal us. Heyward-Bey was very raw coming out and will improve. He has gotten dramatically better over the year. Murphy was a steal for us in the fourth round. He will definitely be our third receiver and should be able to put up better numbers with another year of developing. Our receivers strength are definitely size and blocking ability. Hopefully we will get a good position coach to help these guys push themselves. The last three need to be replaced. I know Higgins has the big play potential but he will never start for us and is now scared to return kicks. Miller may catch on because of his fearless mindset and return ability. Watkins could come back but should be replaced as well. Definitely need receiver but one late in the draft or a mid-range free agent would work.

Potential Draft Picks

Golden Tate- 2-3^rd round-Notre Dame. I know I am dreaming, but if he were to somehow fall to the third round we should sprint to the podium to announce this pick. He is extremely explosive has good hands and enormous return ability. He is raw as a receiver due to the fact he played running back in high school. He has a very high ceiling, but needs work, also no character problems. He reminds me a lot of Percy Harvin.

Terrance Toliver- 4-5^th round- LSU. Tall and fast. He is a bit on the thin side but has very good hands. He would provide another big target to make life easier on our QB and would not have much pressure to produce right away. Has come up with several big catches during his career.

Jordan Shipley-4-5^th round- Texas. He is very fast, a hard worker, and very reliable. He offers return ability and the correct team first attitude. Many questions about his size and whether McCoy made him better than he actually is but would be a very welcome addition to our locker room and return game.

TE- Miller, Myers, Stewart*

Miller has become a pro bowl caliber TE, enough said. Myers has looked strong and should improve going into his second season. His pass catching ability is a nice surprise. A late round pick could happen but not very likely.

Potential Draft Picks

Richard Dickson-5-6^th round- LSU. He is a very solid player. He catches the ball well, blocks well, and does whatever it takes to get a win. He comes from a winning program and has played since his freshman year. He also is the example of what you want from a player when it comes to being a good teammate and a hard worker.

Michael Hoomanawanui-6-7^th Illinois. He is a monster as a blocker and has very good hands. He Could be an enormous upgrade in our run game as well as special teams. I have not seen him much but what I have seen he really stands out. Size is a huge plus with him since is nearly the same size as an offensive lineman.

Jeff Cottam-7^th round- Tennessee. He is a prototypical TE with good size 6-7 and very good hands. He can block and catch well, but is not too fast.

OT- Henderson, Barnes*, Green, Pears*

Henderson has really become a fixture for us, and is steadily improving. Barnes is a capable back-up but probably will not stay. Green is a good back-up and part time starter but we need an upgrade. Pears is awful and needs to be replaced. He is constantly blown off the ball. RT is a position of need for us.

Potential Draft Picks

Trent Williams-1-2^nd round- Oklahoma. Would love to get him if he falls to 2^nd. Probably won’t due to the fact he can LT also. He is a very good RT and would be an instant starter on the right side.

Chris Scott-3-4^th round- Tennessee. He is a beast in the run game and is very athletic. He is a tad larger than Cable like his offensive lineman but he would be the perfect RG or RT in our offense and would be able to start year one or two.

Chris Marinelli- 6-7^th round- Stanford. Has stared at RT since his freshman year. Plays for a very physical Stanford team. He knows what it takes to win and is athletic enough to fit in our system.

Adam Uletoski- 5-6^th round- Texas. He is very large at 6-8 and can play tackle or guard. He is a pretty good run blocker and played in a spread offense requiring offensive lineman to be very good at pass blocking. He would be a young backup who could come in and start after a few years.

OG-Gallery, Carlisle, Morris, Draft Pick/Free Agent

Gallery has really become a very good guard. He is playing at a pro bowl level. Carlisle is playing well but we could use an upgrade or eventual replacement. Morris can play either guard spot or center. He is better suited to the backup center spot. We really need to address this position in the offseason.

Potential Draft Picks

Mike Johnson-2-3^rd round- Alabama. He has started since his sophomore year. Has played tackle and guard but will make a much better guard. He is a big reason why Alabama has run the ball so well.

C- Satele, Morris

Satele has really become the center Oakland thought he would be when they traded for him. His only weakness is that he struggles against bigger nose tackles. That is why Miami traded him, but he is a very good starter for us and a young piece we can build on. Morris is capable of starting when needed and is better suited to the center position. Oakland may draft a center late if they think want Morris to continue to play guard.

DE-Seymour, Ellis, Shaugnessey, Richardson

Seymour has proved he is still a dominant player and along with Ellis has tremendously helped our young players. Ellis is a veteran leader and still playing at a high level. It would be nice to have him back one more year to help Shaugnessy further develop before assuming the starting role. Richardson has developed into a very good run defender and a solid pass rusher.

Potential Draft Picks

Carlos Dunlap-1-3^rd round- Florida. He has tremendous size and athleticism, but off the field issues may cause him to slide. If he does Oakland should snatch him up with a quick hurry. He would make the perfect replacement for Seymour when he decides to retire. Dunlap would also allow Seymour to move inside on passing downs. Only way we should take him though is if he falls out of first round.

DT-Kelly, Warren, Bryant Draft Pick/Free Agent

Kelly has really performed well this year. He has caused a lot of havoc and lived up to his payout regardless of the stats. Bryant has also performed well considering he was an undrafted free agent and the transition from Ivy League to NFL. Our Achilles heel has been Warren. He is just not a nose tackle and that is the position he is in here. He tries hard and does not complain but his true position is an under tackle which is currently occupied by Kelly. We really need to use our first round pick on a DT because we need an upgrade and because both of our starters are near 30. And we have no depth.

Potential Draft Picks

Ndamukong Suh-1^st-Nebraska. Suh is incredible at the DT position. He is an absolute game changer worthy of a top five pick. The problem is that Oakland will probably be drafting 7^th and he will not fall that far.

Gerald McCoy-1^st-Oklahoma. McCoy is a stud as well and is 1b right there with Suh. The only problem is that he is more of an under tackle which puts us in the same position we are in now but he would definitely provide depth and could surprise in the tackle position next to Kelly.

Terrance Cody-1^st-Alabama. He is enormous and will definitely be the dominant nose tackle that many teams are looking for. It will be hard to tell exactly where he will be drafted because of the new emphasis on the three-four. If we can’t get McCoy or Suh we should trade down to grab Cody. He will definitely be our run stuffer and allow our linebackers to wreak havoc. His only issue is his weight and keeping it in check may prove difficult. He has no off the field issues though and comes from a team that knows how to win.

Dan Williams-1st-2nd-Tennessee. He has become a very good player, with lots of experience. He has a non-stop motor and can play either the nose tackle or under tackle spot.

OLB-Scott, Howard, Williams, Alston

Moving Scott to linebacker was a brilliant move. He is athletic enough to cover in space and big enough to handle the run. He will only improve. Howard is a better fit at SLB. He is big and fast enough to stick with opposing teams Tight Ends. With his move to SLB he will allow Williams and Alston to play special teams and fill in when necessary. We do not need and youth here but we always seem to draft a linebacker.

Potential Draft Picks

Rico McCoy-3-4^th round- Tennessee. McCoy is a very fast, athletic, aggressive linebacker. Has all the measurable, but is just a tad undersized. McCoy has played inside and outside linebacker. He is a playmaker on the field, but has a lot of off the field issues.

MLB-Morrison, Brown

With the move of Scott to LB now we have depth at MLB. Morrison continually makes plays. He catches a lot of flak about our run defense but he gives everything he has and is a very good MLB. Brown is a capable backup and can play any of the LB spots as well as special teams. A later round pick could be used if they want Brown to play outside.

Potential Draft Picks

Micah Johnson-4-5^th round-Kentucky. I personally played against this guy and he nearly knocked me unconscious on the field. He is extremely strong, athletic and was meant to play middle backer. He is a stud against the run and a tackling machine. He would provide depth and someone would could eventually takeover the position if Morrison decides to move on.

CB-Asomugha, Johnson, Routt, Draft Pick/Free Agent

We have three very good corners. Johnson/Routt are good but could be upgraded if something fell into our lap. We definitely need a fourth corner though. I like Holland but there is no way he could fill in adequately if an injury occurred. A late round pick as well as a free agent is necessary. We could always move huff part time to corner. He has the ability to cover and can play both Corner and Safety.

Potential Draft Picks

Kareem Jackson-3-4^th round-Alabama. He is a good cover corner who can tackle. He plays on one of the best defenses in the nation and should be able to develop in the fourth corner position.

Patrick Robinson-4-5^th round-Florida State. He is fast and can cover. He is needs a lot of work but would have time to develop. He has a lot of potential. Was involved in the cheating scandal though.

S-Branch, Huff, Mitchell, Eugene

Branch has quietly become one of the best Strong Safeties in the league. Huff has finally lived up to his position and is a very solid Free Safety, but may not be back depending on money. Mitchell has looked good in his limited chances this year and figures to get more time next year. Eugene has been a solid fill-in and a good special teamer. We could also use a late round pick here.

Potential Draft Picks

Myron Rolle-4-5^th-Florida State. His big question is will he play. If he does he is a very good safety. He has size, speed, and smarts. He was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and has no off the field issues. For a late round flier this could payoff.

K-Janikowski

He has been spectacular this year. There will be no need or question of replacement.

P-Lechler

He will probably go to another probowl.

LS John Condo has done a very good job. He will not be replaced

Since we have eight draft picks. This is the way I hope it will shake out and the roster I would like will follow.

1-Ndamukong Suh

2-Trent Williams

3-Carlos Dunlap

3-Mike Johnson

4-Jordan Shipley

5-Myron Rolle