2011 NFL Draft: Positions Oakland Raiders Should Consider

As the 2011 NFL Draft approaches, I am not sure how many more mock drafts will be made. What is certain, however, is that the Oakland Raiders need to have a productive draft this year in order to continue their rise in the AFC West division. With the CBA creating a lot of uncertainty, the Raiders may have to draft their primary needs now, rather than drafting players solely on athletic ability. But depth at other positions is of concern as well.

It seems that the offensive line is the biggest need of this team, but the fact is, there are plenty of different strategies the Raiders could pursue. So what positions concern you?

Offensive Line

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 1: Guard Stefan Wisniewski #61 of the Penn State Nittany Lions blocks against the Florida Gators January 1, 2010 in the 25th Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Like I mentioned, I think the offensive line is one of the Raiders' biggest needs. With Al Davis investing draft stock mostly in skill positions, the Raiders now find themselves an offensive line away from being playoff contenders. The problem is, the Raiders might have to fill that entire need at once, because in my opinion free agency is not looking great at any particular offensive line position. It is easy to mention the household names, but there is no guarantee the Raiders can get the top-notch free agents they are looking for.

When I look at the tackle positions, the name that comes to mind is Jared Veldheer. A lot of mixed reviews on his performance. Some, like myself, believe that if Veldheer had spent training camp training mainly at left tackle, he would've been much better, but as we all know, he also had to spend some time at center.

In 2011, it seems Veldheer will be the starter, and so will get a chance to prove his worth. Langston Walker has done a decent job at right tackle, but is he truly the answer? I'm not sure. I could be wrong but I believe Walker is a free agent this year, and if so, the Raiders might be looking for a new starter.

The guard position is concerning me as well. Dan Loper was a good backup in 2010, as he has been his whole career. But is he truly ready to take the reins as a starter? I'm not sure.

Bruce Campbell is widely assumed to be Robert Gallery's replacement. I believe he will do a good job, but I still think his best position is tackle, especially now that the right tackle spot may have an opening.

Center is also concerning, as Samson Satele still has question marks. He played well at the end of 2010, but is he the kind of center that can hold down the position for the next seven-plus years? In my opinion, no! Despite his $2 million deal, a one-year contract is not much of a commitment.

MY OPINION ON THE DRAFT: With the second-round pick, I think the Raiders have to lock down an interior lineman. I would love to give Veldheer some competition at left tackle, but unless Derek Sherrod of Mississippi is there at #48, or Orlando Franklin of Miami falls to the third (both of which are unlikely), I wouldn't even touch a tackle until the fifth round. The tackle class this year is not good at all in my opinion.

Interior lineman on the other hand is a different story. If Center Stefan Wisniewski is there, the Raiders should take him in a heartbeat. Guard Marcus Cannon of TCU is a solid pick as well, and I would have no problem with that at all.

Outside Linebacker

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OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Mike Mitchell #34 and Quentin Groves #52 of the Oakland Raiders celebrate after a play during their game against the St. Louis Rams at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 19, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo b

It seems every year, the Raiders always have two out of three outside linebacker spots taken care of, but can never get all three. For years the Raiders had solid outside linebackers but couldn't find that beast in the middle. I remember when they put Kirk Morrison in the middle and drafted Thomas Howard, and then all they were looking for was a solid strong side linebacker. That obviously didn't pan out.

Now, it seems we have our guy in the middle in Rolando McClain, and a good strong side linebacker in Kamerion Wimbley, but now it's the weak side that we are looking for.

Quinton Groves was the starter in 2010, but he had his struggles. However, I'm not sure the Raiders are ready to give up on him just yet. Thomas Howard seems like he is on his way out, and unlike Morrison, I'm not sure if we get anything back for him. A guy I think some people forget about is Travis Goethel. He was poised to be a starter as a sixth-round rookie, until an unfortunate back injury sidelined him through the middle of the season. If he was healthy, and was the starter, the 2010 draft class may have gone down in history as far as rookie production is concerned. Goethel will have a second chance in 2011.

The rumor now is that the Raiders may be interested in former OLB and first-round pick Vernon Gholston. He struggled as a 3-4 OLB, and I'm not sure if a 4-3 will change anything, but if the price is right, it may be worth checking out.

MY DRAFT OPINION: OLB is a position the Raiders could consider. Dontay Moch is definitely on their radar. However, Chris Carter of Fresno State is, in my opinion, the more polished prospect. I think he is the kind of OLB the Raiders wanted Thomas Howard to become.

Cornerback

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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Nnamdi Asomugha #21 of the Oakland Raiders stands on the sidelines during the closing minutes of their loss to the Miami Dolphins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 28, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra S

Will he come back? Will he not?

I don't even have to mention a name, do I?

We all know that Planet Asomugha might be leaving the Black Hole. So if that happens, where do the Raiders go from there?

It seems the Raiders have put a lot of faith in Stanford Routt. Statistcally, it is merited, but is Routt's value only good because Asomugha played next to him?

The Raiders got some decent production from Chris Johnson, but I'm not sure he will be back. Last season was not his best, and he was victimized quite a bit.

Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware both have a lot of work to do. Rod Woodson is going to have his hands full with those two.

MY DRAFT OPINION: Whether or not Asomugha comes back, I think the Raiders can use another big corner. Ras-I Dowling is a guy who is worth a second-round pick, but his injury concerns concern me. Jimmy Smith is an Asomugha clone, but I'm not sure he falls to pick 48. Davon House is a great corner who would be a steal in the third round. Cortez Allen is another guy who in the fifth round could be a huge steal. He has been called a "coach's dream."

Safety

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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs against Mike Mitchell #34 of the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 7, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

I know many people have mixed emotions on Michael Huff, but the fact is his departure leaves a big hole at free safety.

Tyvonn Branch and Mike Mitchell are solid, but they are strong safeties. Branch struggled in 2010, so he is definitely looking to rebound. Mitchell plays well as a backup and in nickel packages, but is he ready to take over the free safety spot or unseat Branch at strong safety? You would hope so given that he was a second-round investment, right?

Hiram Euguene just got a pay raise, but nobody believes he is the answer. Enough said.

I like Stevie Brown, but I have no idea why he is getting so much fan hype lately. He played well in the preseason and made a few plays in the regular season, but some people talk about him like he is going to be a pro-bowler.

MY DRAFT OPINON: Another second-round pick on a safety is way too much of an investment at this point. But if a guy like Rahim Moore of UCLA falls, he might be too much to pass up in Al Davis' mind. To be fair, the guy has a ridiculous amount of range.

I have heard that a guy like Aaron Williams, who projects to be a safety at the NFL level, could fall to round three. But I still think that may be too rich of a price. I have the Raiders taking a safety in the first round of next year's draft (yes I'm already getting started on next year), so I hope the Raiders don't spend too much time evaluating safeties this year.

Running Back

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 26: Runningback Darren McFadden #20 of the Oakland Raiders sits on the sidelines during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals de

Undoubtedly, Darren McFadden is the starter, and the Raiders are doing what they can to keep Michael Bush. They tried to give him a tender, but with the CBA fiasco, it is not certain that it will stick.

After these two, the Raiders running back options are a bit limited.

Rock Cartwright is a great guy to keep in the locker room, but his on-field contributions are limited to special teams. The Raiders are still intrigued by Michael Bennett, but he barely saw the field in 2010, and I'm not sure if that will change in 2011.

The Raiders are not starved for a running back, but that doesn't mean they won't decide to draft one.

MY DRAFT OPINION: Personally, I think the Raiders should go the undrafted free agent route at running back. Let's see if the Raiders can find the next Arian Foster. But again, the CBA limits teams at the moment when it comes to free agency. Da' Rel Scott of Maryland is a good blend of size and speed (say what you want, but that school produces great athletes). Alex Green of Hawaii is a big, bruising back that I think would be a good fit, but only if he takes a big fall down the draft boards. If the Raiders want a RB, this is the draft where you look for an under-the-radar guy.

Wide Receiver

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 02: Wide receiver Chaz Schilens #81 of the Oakland Raiders is tackled by Brandon Carr #39 and Brandon Flowers #24 of the Kansas City Chiefs in a game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by T

I don't want to start too big of a debate on this position because in my opinion this area is a sensitive one for fans. So I'm going to go straight to my draft opinion on this one. I will say, however, that I have faith in the guys we have on our roster. I know many fans want a veteran WR, and I would like that as well, but I don't see that in the Raiders' future.

MY DRAFT OPINION:  Dear Raiders: unless it is in the seventh round, DO NOT DRAFT ANOTHER RECEIVER. Every year it seems the Raiders draft a receiver in the early and/or middle rounds. Now I think the Raiders have the perfect blend of the kinds of receivers they want. Now I think they just need a WR coach. In the seventh round, a guy I like is Andre Holmes of Hillsdale. He is 6'4" and 210 pounds with 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash. He reminds me of Marques Colston, but maybe a bit faster. I think the Raiders are gradually going to drift away from the smaller WRs, so Higgins and Nick Miller could be gone.

Quarterback

Another touchy position amongst fans is quarterback.

Personally, I think we found our guy in Jason Campbell. I think he was unjustly benched, but he also handled the situation with the kind of professionalism we all wish Jamarcus Russell had.

Campbell is finally in a system that fits his skill set. And get this: he is in it for the second year in a row.

Campbell is our guy, but his backups (or should I say backup) is not. The Raiders decided to part ways with Bruce Gradkowski, and gave Kyle Boller a pay raise. I would've dropped them both, but of the two I would keep Grad over Boller.

Boller is a preseason champ and a regular season chump. He just doesn't have the kind of poise you want in an NFL QB. But it seems Hue Jackson has a soft spot for him. We all know Davis loves the arm strength.

Now we are looking for that third-string guy. On a team that has seen three or more quarterbacks see playing time each of the past five years, a servicable third-string guy is a need. But should the Raiders look to the draft to fill it?

MY DRAFT OPINION: There are only two QBs I would like to see the Raiders draft in the sixth round or later: Jerrod Johnson and T.J. Yates. Greg McElroy I tried to include as well, but I don't think he falls to the sixth. Johnson is a big, strong-armed guy who has worked with an NFL coach before in Mike Sherman. Johnson actually reminds me a lot of Campbell. He had a solid Junior year, but his senior year he struggled due to injury. But now all is good, and he is ready to prove it.

T.J. Yates is a guy who needs to get some consideration. His arm is not as strong as Johnson's, but it is strong enough. He didn't come from a traditional pro-style offense, but he was under center quite a bit. If I were to compare him to someone, I would compare him to Colt Brennan. He is just a natural thrower of the football. It looks pretty coming off of his hands.

Both of these guys have heart and a chip on their shoulder: two traits that all back up QBs should have. The Raiders need a back-up who gives them some level of upside, and these two guys give us that.