First Raiders Mock
By zbest
Updated: 1/2/2008
According to ESPN.com the Oakland Raiders will have either the 3rd or 4th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The regular season might have just ended, but the off-season for the losers just began. All season long the guys on ESPN and Fox Sports Net have been talking about the teams at the top the league, with good reason, but now with the off-season only weeks away, the whole outlook is about to change. When the Super Bowl ends and a champion is decided, the Raiders go from the bottom of the conversation list to the top. Why; because the NFL regular and post seasons only lasts 5 months, but the off-season lasts 7, so how can the NFL have their own network without spending the better part of the last 2 3 4 years talking about the struggling Raiders, and who they’re going to draft.
My pick, Howie’s boy Chris Long. How can this kid play for any other team? I think Long would make a huge impact on the Raiders fan base, and on the field, but there’s reason to believe he might not be around when the Raiders make their first selection. Bill Parcells is going to want to revamp the Dolphins defense, and everyone knows he’s probably going to run a 3-4 (Long would be great in any defense, but some experts believe he’s better fitted for an NFL 3-4 scheme. I think the havoc Tommy Kelly and Long could wreak by jumping back and forth from each D-line position in a 4-3 scheme could be an incredible weapon. No team has ever had two guys with the ability to dominate all 4 defensive line positions).
Glenn Dorsey will probably get overshadowed by the workout numbers that Long puts up, and McFadden didn’t help himself with a poor performance in the Cotton Bowl. With all the defensive line talent in the upcoming draft, Brian Brohm and Matt Ryan might not find a place in the early part of round 1, because when you’ve got talent and you’re a workout warrior (i.e. Mario Williams), then you get separation. All Raider fans can do is hope that McFadden, and Dorsey tear up the weight room, because if they don’t, Long will not be there when the Raiders select.
Here’s a little taste of what I’ll be doing the next couple months:
First 5 picks in next years draft (this is not who I believe will be drafted in the first five picks, but right now this is what an ESPN analyst would pick, mainly because they, and I need to still see soooo much more from these players (i.e. Senior Bowl practice and game, combine, etc):
1. Miami – Brian Brohm
2. St. Louis – Glenn Dorsey
3. Atlanta – Darren McFadden
4. Raiders – Chris Long
5. Kansas City- Jake Long
Draft Info: According to NFL.com the Raiders might actually end up with the 3rd pick; “the Falcons, Chiefs, and Raiders all have the same record, but since the Chiefs finished third in the AFC West, and the Raiders fourth (the tie was broken on the basis of record in common games), the Raiders will draft ahead of the Chiefs.” As a last result, a coin will be flipped at the NFL combine in February to determine the order for the Falcons and Raiders.