Coming off their sixth consecutive non-playoff season, the Oakland Raiders entered the 2009 NFL draft with a number of holes. With the seventh overall pick, they couldn't have made a bad selection in terms of position. Offensive tackle, wide receiver, defense ... all would have been wise choices. As it turns out, the Raiders went with a potential playmaking receiver for third year quarterback JaMarcus Russell. In theory, it's a solid move. Too bad they took the wrong receiver.
In 2008, Oakland's wide receivers combined for just 82 receptions (14 individual receivers caught 82 passes around the NFL) and 11 touchdowns, so it's not like they didn't need help outside. When the Raiders' pick came up in the first round the top two receivers in the draft, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree and Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, were sitting there for the taking. Amazingly, Al Davis, always blinded by straight-line speed and lightning-fast 40 times, passed on both of them to take Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey.
We shouldn't have been surprised, as it was a typical Davis pick while there were rumors prior to the draft that the Raiders were primed to take him regardless of who else was available. And that's exactly what they did.
Head coach Tom Cable defended the pick, and the draft as a whole, by saying:
"We do things here I think in a certain way. I think there's a lot of fact to that," Cable said after the draft Sunday. "Whether you want to call it the Al Davis way, the Oakland Raider way, it's our way."Fair enough. But when your way of drafting has resulted in a 24-72 record the past six years, it's only natural to receive some backlash for continuing your effort to fit the square peg in the round hole.
Draft Picks
1 (7) Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
2 (47) Michael Mitchell, DB, Ohio
3 (71) Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin
4 (124) Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
4 (126) Slade Norris, LB, Oregon State
6 (199) Stryker Sulak, DE, Missouri
6 (202) Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa
Grade: D. The selection of Mitchell in the second round was immediately panned by every analyst on ESPN -- Mel Kiper, for example, claimed to speak with a team that saw Mitchell as a potential undrafted free agent -- for being an unheard of reach. As it turns out, a few teams saw Mitchell as a legitimate target in the second round, including the Chicago Bears who were reportedly ready to select him two spots after he went to the Raiders.
That said, the use of the No. 7 overall pick on Bey, when Crabtree and Maclin were still available, is enough to push the grade down quite a bit. Who knows, maybe Bey will go on and have a great career and form a dynamic, touchdown-making tandem with Russell, while the Raiders can come back and laugh at all of us. Then again, he might be Troy Williamson V. 2.0 and be remembered as a waste of a top-10 pick. When you've been as bad as the Raiders have been in recent years, it's tough to give them the benefit of the doubt with these things.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-01-2009 @ 4:40PM
skeetbull said...
I'm sure none of this came as a surprise to anyone who keeps up with football. Heck I hate the raiders but even I cant wait until al is gone
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5-01-2009 @ 5:22PM
greatr said...
As a Chargers fan, I hope Al lives forever and keeps dominating the Raider organization. That way the Raiders new motto is: Just lose baby. lmao.
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5-01-2009 @ 5:56PM
marc said...
Heyward Bey is a monster. Of course he is not going to put up numbers like Crabtree, Md runs a prostyle offense, not a spread like mizzou or TT, plus MD is a running team, MD's qb is not as good as chase daniels or graham harrell. AND he missed a few games. Yes he was picked too high, if the raiders were smart they would have traded down but Bey is a good receiver who will outrun everyone on the field unlike crabtree or maclin. And the Giants and Ravens(teams great at picking talent) were more interested in him than any other receiver so think for a minute. No im not a raiders fan, I dont like the Raiders but enough bashing Bey. The guy is good so suck it
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5-01-2009 @ 8:27PM
achilles433 said...
Bears have since clarified that they were eying Mitchell as a potential pick in the 4th round, not the 2nd. Maybe they're lying when they said no way they'd have made him a 2nd round selection, but that's what they claim
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5-01-2009 @ 8:17PM
Pimp Daddy said...
Why everyone keep saying the Raiders picked the wrong guy?He's not the wrong guy.Just because every analyst on ESPN -- Mel Kiper said he's the wrong guy doesn't make him the wrong guy.Had the Patriots or the Colts picked him it would have been a brilliant choice.Why is it every team can choose who they want and when except the Raiders.If Kiper knows so much about who to choose and when,why he's not an Nfl owner or a coach.How he know Crabtree or Maclin want be a bust in the NFL.Just because you'll superstar in college doesn't mean you'll be one in the NFL.Whose to say if the Raiders drafted one of them they wouldn't be a holdout because that not where they wanted to play.A lot of people had Aaron Curry as the best player in the draft but does that mean the Lions picked the wrong guy.The Jaguars passed up on Crabtree and Maclin,does that mean they picked the wrong guy. 8 other teams passed on Crabtree and 18 passed on Maclin and no one is talking about they picked the wrong guy.Apparently they felt Bey was a better fit for their team and the offense they run.Let the season start before we start bashing their selections.
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5-02-2009 @ 1:35AM
reikilight said...
How funny these dweebs that never played a lick of real football come up with who is a great potential pro football player and who is a wasted draft pick ... I'll say one thing for Bey ... he's a fast big dude ... an amazing athlete ... and time will judge what kind of player Bey turns out to be ... but Al wanted him and so he got him. I hope he can catch the fricken football! :) Let's face it ... ya never know who the guys are that mature at 25 into being exceptional. Raider fans gotta hang in and hope Al passes on to greener pasture soon ... there are a lot of GREAT Coaches out there but none that will work for Al ... and I can't blame them a bit. I don't wish ill to Al ... but as a Raider fan ... time to start thinking about "what's after footall" Mr Davis.
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5-02-2009 @ 4:56AM
Socalfan13 said...
Has anyone given any thought that maybe the Raiders did want to trade down and couldn't. Remember it takes two teams to trade.....And the experts on BSpn, well they said M. Huff was a safe pick (now a potetial bust), R. Gallery was a can't miss left tackle (now a good guard), N. Asomugha was a reach at #21 in the first round (now the best at CB), R. Dudley was the proto-type T.E. of the future (had an average career). So I don't put to much faith in what the experts say. Tom Brady and Joe Montana didn't even get picked in the 1st round! Bottom line is the NFL Draft is still a crapshoot.
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5-04-2009 @ 9:26PM
PacoGerte said...
It was less than a decade ago that Granny Davis had a Superbowl calliber team, and probably would have won one or two rings if not for horrendous officating and dumb luck. WTF is the "tuck rule," and why has it not been called since? Who knows what Granny Davis still has left in her strange mind? I don't think she's senile yet. Even as a Charger fan, I'll hate the Pats first and wait for the Raidas to get back on their feet and hate them when they can bring it again.
He may not be at the level the coaching staff wanted, but JMR can make throws no other QB in the league can. If he has a speedster to throw to, then maybe this is the right pick after all. I've heard a few interviews with DHB, and the kid is likeable and grounded. I hope he does well, just not against my team.
The Raidas are not without talent. If just half the team played the way they were expected to when they were drafted/traded for, the Raidas would challenge for the AFC worst. As it is, I'll take my chances with my Bolts.
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5-05-2009 @ 12:27AM
Matt Snyder said...
The "tuck rule" is enforced regularly. Anytime a quarterback's arm begins to move forward WITH POSSESSION of the ball and it comes loose, it's an incomplete pass.
The rule was called correctly -- by letter of the rule -- in the Patriots/Raiders AFC Championship game, too, by the way.
It's a bad rule, but to insinuate it's only been called one time is not even remotely accurate.