Terrelle Pryor a Good NFL Supplemental Draft Pick by the Oakland Raiders

The 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft has come and gone, and the only player chosen by a team was Terrelle Pryor. No shocker there, as he was the only player anyone seemed to be interested in.

The former Ohio State signal-caller comes with some baggage, but he also possesses the athletic talent necessary to succeed in the league. Height (6'5") and excellent speed will often make NFL Scouts take notice. This time, the scouting department of the Oakland Raiders liked him the most.

According to ESPN.com, he will likely sign a four-year deal for about $2.36 million plus a $591,000 signing bonus.

Oakland is only giving up a third-round pick, which is hardly chump change, but it's not a first- or second-round pick either. 

With just about any player you have pros and cons, and Pryor is certainly no exception.

The pros are easy to identify. The Raiders just drafted a player with unquestionable athletic talent who could have possibly been a first- or second-round player had he played his senior year of college ball.

He has several years of experience at the highest level of college football, and he played in one of the better football conferences in college. You can't sneer at his 31-4 record as a starter, plus he led the Buckeyes to two BCS bowl game victories. 

Now, the negatives.

First and foremost, he will be unavailable for the Raiders until at least Week 6, due to the NFL-imposed suspension which was carried over from his NCAA violations.

Secondly, he will probably have to learn a new position, as most scouts do not feel he has the skill set necessary to be a strong NFL quarterback, but any team looking into his services would already have known that.

You have to be concerned about his decision-making in the wake of the NCAA violations for improper benefits. It might be a stupid rule, but it is a rule. Granted, I don't think this makes Pryor a bad person, so it shouldn't be held too much against him.

Overall, I think the Raiders made a good choice in their gamble here. The deal Pryor signs shouldn't hurt them financially. Oakland will also be getting plenty of supplemental picks for the free agents they lost so, in the end, I don't think they've given up very much at all.

Now it will be up to the Raiders to develop his talent, and that's an area they have failed in significantly in the past. At least they didn't invest a first-round pick in a project this time.