Oakland Raiders Post Draft Commentary

The Raiders were again a disappointment in 2008. The team continues to have no serious direction as the constant coaching changes and philosophies seem to work against the talent on the roster. JaMarcus Russell appears to be a bit of a disappointment this far, but hopefully the fact that Tom Cable continues to be the head coach will work to stabilize Russell’s career.

The Raiders had a great many needs in 2009 as the team continued to under perform. Both sides of the ball were in need of an influx of talent. The Raiders need help along the offensive line as neither tackle position is secure. The team’s only move in this area was to sign Khalif Barnes in Free Agency. Barnes was badly abused by Dwight Freeney in a Monday night game in 2008. Barnes has been somewhat of an underachiever thus far in his career, and I am surprised the Raiders bypassed the position during the draft given the number of quality left tackles available. It is a move that could hinder Russell’s ability to produce on Sundays.

Wide receiver was the other offensive need, and the team addressed the position by drafting two players, although neither is a “natural” player. Heyward-Bey has issues catching the ball cleanly and with his route running and was probably over drafted at #7 overall. Louis Murphy, although fast, is also not a very polished player and will likely take time to develop. The Raiders need one of these two players to play well as a rookie, otherwise there is little on the roster aside from Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chaz Schilens, and that should speak volumes. Javon Walker is a shell of his former self and barely contributes to the team.

The Raiders did have issues on the defensive side of the ball as they lack a starter for the strong side linebacker spot other than Ricky Brown; who has 41 career tackles in 4 years. Defensive tackle could have been a focus as well as the Raiders gave up over 150 yards per game last year on the ground. The Raiders did not choose a linebacker, but Slade Norris is familiar with operating in space and is a likely candidate to make the conversion to outside linebacker. If he can handle the transition, the Raiders may get enough front Norris to have filled the need. The Raiders also did not get much production from their defensive ends and selected Matt Shaughnessy and Stryker Sulak. But neither player is a great pass rusher as Shaughnessy lacks an explosive first step and Sulak is typically unable to disengage from blockers with a great deal of ease. I personally do not see either player contributing a great deal in 2009.

The Raiders did make a very curious selection in Mike Mitchell from Ohio. Many people had Mitchell as a very low rated prospect, and was mostly unheard of aside from running a low 40 time at his pro day. The Raiders did make a few confusing selections as they bypassed an area of concern in cornerback to draft Mitchell. Safety was a need as Michael Huff has proven unable to start in the NFL and the release of Gibril Wilson, but there were more accomplished prospects on the board when Mitchell was taken. If Mitchell does not work out the way the Raiders brass would like, the first half of the 2009 Draft could be disastrous for the team as a whole. There are a few selections that will not vie for starting jobs at their positions, making the draft even more troublesome. The Raiders will likely be selecting in the top 10 again in 2010.

Pre Draft Needs: WR, CB, OL, DL, LB, S