With the 7th pick in the draft the Oakland Raiders drafted WR Darrius Heyward-Bey out of Maryland. The knock on Heyward-Bey is that he has questionable to poor hands, which is great when you have a QB who has questionable to poor accuracy, and that he tends to take plays off. What Darrius Heyward-Bey does bring to the table is gamebreaking speed and skills.
Obviously Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders drafted this kid because he ran a 4.30 40 and that was the fastest time at this years NFL combine but how can you justify this pick when WR's Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin were still there and so was tackle Eugene Munroe? If Al Davis wanted this kid so badly he shoulda just traded down and picked up some more picks in the draft because you know the Raiders have a lotta holes to fill. If the Raiders didn't have anybody to trade with and they picked "their" guy then you have to respect that.
From the highlight clips I've seen and the reports I've read about Darrius Heyward-Bey he does have explosive speed and he doesn't shy away from contact which if you want to look at things positively he does at least sound interesting. Check out the video below to see some Darrius Heyward-Bey highlights.
Like I said the guy is explosive so he's inteersting but it was stupid to take him that high in the draft if there were trade partners available. The smart thing to do was to trade down with someone and get some more picks but this is why the Raiders have sucked for the past few years... because they don't capitalize in positions like these.
Heyward-Bey is somewhat interesting because of the cannon that Jamarcus Russell has attached to his shoulder and the fact that he played in a pro style offense at Maryland but someone should've reminded Al Davis that the Raiders don't have a legit Left Tackle and their offensive line has been near the bottom of the league in quality the past few seasons. If you want to throw deep you probably want to protect your Quarterback...
In listening to Head coach of the Oakland Raiders Tom Cable it really seems like he had a good plan going into the draft though. So he either did a great job of selling this or he really believes in these picks. Cable says he was looking to draft WR's, DE's and a TE and that he also wanted to address the run defense. And most of all Cable really seems like he was intent on drafting high character, hard working guys. I think that's great especially for this team which really seems to lack a good work ethic.
A lot of folks have questioned the 2nd pick of the draft of the Oakland Raiders Ohio State safety Michael Mitchell but Cable feels that the hard hitting safety will have a big impact on the Raiders run defense. And what nobody wants to talk about is that the Chicago Bears had already called Mitchell and told him they would be picking him up a couple of picks later. Mitchell is definitely a hard hitter and maybe he can have the kind of impact on the Raiders defense that safety Bob Sanders has had on the Colts... Check out his video below.
3rd round pick Defensive End Matt Shaughnessy out of Wisconsin is 6'6 and 250 and is seen as a tireless hard worker. This guy was constantly making tackles behind the line of scrimmage for Wisconsin.
4th round pick WR Louis Murphy out of Florida was considered by some draft experts as the best deep threat in the draft. Tom Cable likes the fact that he played the outside WR position in the spread offense at Florida which translates a little better to the NFL.
4th round pick LB Slade Norris out of Oregon State - "hard working and intense competitor" the knock on this guy is that he is undersized
6th round pick Stryker Sulak DE Missouri - another guy that is known for playing all out whistle to whistle
6th Round pick Brandon Myers TE Iowa - Raiders picked him up to be a physical, blocking tight end
The Oakland Raiders definitely went against the grain with this draft and for all of the Raider nation I really hope that first pick Darrius Heyward-Bey turns out to be the playmaker that the Raiders think he can be and that Michael Mitchell can improve their rush defense. Personally I have to admit when I first saw the results of the draft and after I heard what the draft experts had to say about the Raider picks I was really concerned but after watching some Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell highlights I can see what the Raiders were thinking. And best of all it seems like the Oakland Raiders are bringing in "character" guys that work hard and want to play and not just collect a check.
 OLD Early 1970s Oakland Raider Football Team Signatures  US $.99
|
 HOWIE LONG OAKLAND RAIDERS HOF FOOTBALL DISPLAY CASE US $30.00
|
 OAKLAND RAIDERS EMBROIDERED POLO SHIRT MED US $9.95
|
 NIB NFL Riddell Pocket Chrome Mini Helmet Raiders US $.99
|
 Rich Gannon Authentic Raiders Jersey size 54 US $58.00
|
 Robert Gallery authentic Raiders Jersey size 54 US $100.00
|
 Oakland Raiders Pants Large L Black Gray Pajamas US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Pants 2XL XXL Black Gray Pajamas US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Pants Medium M Black Gray Pajamas US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Pants XL Black Gray Pajamas US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Premium Long Sleeve Tee Shirt Lar NEW US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Helmet Tee Shirt Large L NEW Black US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Logo Tee Shirt Medium M NEW Black US $9.99
|
 Oakland Raiders Attack Tee Shirt Large NEW Black US $9.99
|
 NFL Oakland Raiders 1 Fan Logo Spinner Keychain US $.99
|
 NFL Oakland Raiders KIDS LARGE SHIRT NEW TAGS NR US $5.50
|
 Oakland Raiders Money Clip New Stainless Steel US $5.99
|
 JaMARCUS RUSSELL PLAQUE FOOTBALL OAKLAND RAIDERS NFL US $.01
|
 BOB GOLIC PLAQUE FOOTBALL OAKLAND RAIDERS NFL LA US $1.99
|
 KEN STABLER PLAQUE FOOTBALL OAKLAND RAIDERS NFL US $1.99
|
 ROGER CRAIG PLAQUE FOOTBALL OAKLAND RAIDERS NFL LA US $1.99
|
 NFL Vintage Glass Oakland Raiders Set of 8 RARE US $68.00
|
 OAKLAND RAIDERS 12TH MAN HAT CAP Sz SML MED REEBOK NWT US $8.99
|
 OAKLAND RAIDERS FOOTBALL HOODED SWEATSHIRT SIZE L NEW US $3.58
|
 Authentic Oakland Raiders 18 Football Jersey Womens S US $12.99
|
 Oakland Raiders NFL Football Helmet Decal Set US $16.95
|
 COCA COLA AUBURN rare Bo Jackson lot of 4 cards US $1.99
|
 SET 2 OAKLAND RAIDERS FOOTBALL CAN BOTTLE KOOZIE US $.99
|
 Nnamdi Asomugha Oakland Raiders Jersey Size 50 New US $15.50
|
 New Oakland Raiders Fan Pack Necklace Buttons More US $9.99
|
Related posts:
- Oakland Raiders Football Draft Preview The signing of Jeff Garcia recently was a huge step forward for the Oakland Raiders football team. The signing was huge because Jamarcus Russell is not your quarterback of the future and I guarantee you that Jeff Garcia will be...
- Raiders sign 2 more draft picks (AP) The Oakland Raiders have signed two more draft picks to contracts. The team announced deals with sixth-round linebacker Travis Goethel and seventh-round defense back Jeremy Ware on Thursday. The team has signed five of its nine draft picks. The Raiders...
- Raiders sign rookie S Stevie Brown (AP) The Oakland Raiders have signed seventh-round pick Stevie Brown to a contract. The deal announced Thursday leaves Oakland with only two unsigned draft picks. The Raiders are working on signing first-round pick Rolando McClain and second-rounder Lamarr Houston before training...
- Oakland Raiders Football Pulls Off An Upset This is the best and the most united I have seen this Oakland Raiders football team play this season... I don't know what interim head coach Tom Cable said to this team all week but it worked because all game...
- Oakland Raiders sign two more draft picks (The Canadian Press) ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders have signed two more draft picks to contracts. View full post on Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Oakland Raiders News SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Oakland Raiders sign two more draft picks (The Canadian Press)", url: "http://raidersfootballtalk.com/oakland-raiders-sign-two-more-draft-picks-the-canadian-press/"...
- Oakland Raiders sign pair of draft picks (The Canadian Press) ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders have agreed to contracts with third-round offensive lineman Jared Veldheer and fourth-round selection Bruce Campbell. View full post on Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Oakland Raiders News SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Oakland Raiders sign pair of...
- Raiders sign WR Jacoby Ford (AP) The Oakland Raiders have signed receiver Jacoby Ford, their fourth-round pick in the draft. The Raiders announced a deal Monday for Ford, the sixth of Oakland's nine draft picks to agree to terms. Ford starred in football and track at...
- Raiders’ rookie out to prove critics wrong (AP) Oakland's fourth-round draft pick Bruce Campbell went through an emotional grind as he sat through nearly two days of the NFL draft before hearing his name. Having to make a position change seems easy by comparison for the Raiders rookie....
- Heyward-Bey hopes extra work pays off in year 2 (AP) Nearly every day after practice, Oakland Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey stays late to get some extra work in against Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The Raiders' best player and one of their most disappointing from a year ago work on...
- Raiders sign 2 draft picks (AP) The Oakland Raiders have agreed to contracts with third-round offensive lineman Jared Veldheer and fourth-rounder Bruce Campbell. The deals announced Friday are the first the team has reached with this year's draft class. Veldheer was drafted 69th overall out of...