Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

By the time the calendar hit October Raider Nation was already looking forward to the draft. We all knew the season was pretty much doomed the second Greg Knapp was hired but our worst fears were realized a mere month into the season.

One name that many members of the Nation had high on their draft boards was Notre Dame middle linebacker Manti Te’o. At the time it made a lot of sense for the Raiders to be looking at upgrading their defense by taking Te’o high in round one. The awful performance of Oakland’s defense combined with the complete lack of production and leadership from Rolando McClain made Te’o an attractive prospect.

Coming out of high school Te’o was one of the nation’s top recruits and his Heisman candidacy as a senior only cemented his legacy.

However after last night’s horrible performance by Te’o and his fellow Irish defenders in the snooze fest that was the supposed BCS title game it could be time to re-think his draft stock.

First and foremost Reggie McKenzie made too many rookie mistakes in his first year on the job. Any patience that was expected from owner Mark Davis went out the window in the second half of this lost season. So that means McKenzie can’t afford a bust with a top three pick.

Before last night Te’o looked like the poor man’s Ray Lewis. A fiery leader that played sideline to sideline making plays with passionate and infectious energy.

Then Te’o ran into an Alabama O-line that is about the closest thing you’ll find to an NFL unit in college football this year. Simply put the Tide rolled right over Te’o who suddenly looked McClain-esque being a step late, taking bad angles and getting swallowed by Bama’s bullying blockers.

Now the question must be asked.

Is Te’o worth the risk at third overall?

Now its one game so it would be unfair to ignore all of what Te’o did during the season and indeed his entire collegiate career. However it is impossible to ignore how overmatched he was against NFL level talent. If this was his reaction to the first time he’s been challenged by superior talent then how will things unfold in the heat of camp where grown men duel for jobs?

Who knows where Te’o is on Oakland’s draft board. At no point has McKenzie or anyone in the organization shown the level of interest many members of Raider Nation have. But being one of the top talents in the NCAA has no doubt put Te’o in Oakland’s wheelhouse in some way.

Whether or not the Raiders were considering Te’o at third overall is unknown. But after last night the mere thought of picking him that high has got to come with a moment of pause. Te’o wasn’t alone in his struggles but he was obviously outclassed and his stock should take a hit in some way. Of course he could blow away the scouts at the combine and all this will be forgotten. That’s the draft process. For better or worse. In the case of Oakland…almost always worse these days.

I spoke with JBB follower and die hard Oakland Raider fan Ryan Tie @raider_ryty on Twitter the other night. I posed the question to Ryan about trading DMC. Ryan, like most, said we should keep DMC for a few more years to see what he can do with Carson Palmer at the helm. Ryan stated that DMC is our “playmaker” and with him we should not suffer from TD supressed game like in the past. Ryan stated if McFadden gets hurt this year, we should definitely draft a running back as a priority.

The Nation Loves D-Mac ~Photo A.P.

I agree with Ryan that we have yet to see DMC’s full potential with a legit QB. I’ll always have fear that McFadden will get hurt again and our backups do not look that sexy! (The average RB’s carrier is usually only 3 years for obvious reasons.) In the last four years, McFadden has surpassed the 500 yard mark only twice. One of those times, however, was a 1,000 yard season.

McFadden is a game changer but for how long? Trading at him at his peak could net us several high value draft picks that Hue and Al gave away like breath mints at an AA meeting. I love DMC and I hope he goes full beast mode this year, however, the temptation is what is behind door #3.

Follow Ryan on Twitter at @raider_ryty

Greg Simon

Staff Writer for JBB

@simonizr

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The reason for my article is to take a look at the Raiders from a fantasy football perspective. We will start with Darren McFadden. DMC is a top 10 running back who should have another strong year. The big question marks to ponder are does Campbell have the ability to keep our defense off the field and keep 8 men from stacking the box on DMC. If Jason Campbell can have another productive year, and the line shows signs of life, I would take DMC in the top 10 of the RB’s possible 2nd or 3rd round. (This week’s game will show you what you need to see if he plays.) Michael Bush is a solid 4th RB (in deeper leagues) and a great #2 if DMC goes down.

Jacoby Ford is the man. He was the spark plug that kept us in many games last year. He single handily took over the KC game in Alameda last year. As for fantasy value, Ford is a great 3rd WR option on your team. If you get points for kick returns/yardage/points, he is a super safe 3rd WR option. Now if rookie fenom Denarius Moore get the kick return job, it will devalue Ford tremendously.

On the other hand, if you play in a deeper league (12+ teams); Denarius Moore and or Jacoby Ford are both great 2nd or 3rd receiver options. The way “D-Mo” is playing, he might be starting over everyone. (Hopefully he kicks DHB out of his starting job.)

Kevin Boss is a solid tight end. Having said that, I would not touch him in a fantasy draft at all. There are 25 or more other TE’s that have more upside then him. Also, Campbell is having a tough time finding him in pre season. Plus he has a hurt knee from the last game. Personally, I would love to see my boy David Ausberry from Lemoore, California make the team and take over as the number two TE. (I can dream right?)

Sebastian Janokowski is well Seabass the Polish Cannon. I refuse to talk about kickers in this draft preview because they are always a coin flip at best!

Raiders to stay away from in your draft: DHB, Chaz (broke down) Schilens, and the Raiders D. (Don’t get me started on that. That’s a whole different article.) We will wait to see what roll Luis Murphy has after his injury. Would love to see him play the slot and eat up some safties and line backers.

Remember, do not draft with your heart! Good luck!

Greg Simon

JBB Staff Writer