Oakland Raiders
Posted by Mike Harman on Sunday, May 1, 2011
*************2013 NFL DRAFT GRADES************
1.12 D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
The good thing is that the Raiders were able to get back an early 2nd round pick to move back. They also cut the estimated salary cap of the 3rd pick by about 2.5 million dollars per year just by getting down to the 12th pick. With that said, the Raiders bit in to a player that wasn't going to go in the top-12 before his major life threatening injury. I don't love Hayden, but his stock and value is fair enough compared to a lot of scouts grades.
A-
2.42 Menelik Watson, OT, FSU
Watson was a free pick which is the icing on the cake for the fact that the team got a perfect player to plug into their offensive line.
A
3.66 Sio Moore, OLB, UConn
I don't love Moore myself, but he was a steal here and he could start next season.
B+
4.112 Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
6.172 Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
6.181 Latavius Murray, RB, UCF
6.184 Mychal Rivera, TE, Tennessee
6.205 Stacy McGee, DT, Oklahoma
7.209 Brice Butler, WR, SD State
7.233 David Bass, DE, Missouri Western
OVERALL GRADE: B
If the Raiders had taken someone else in the first round then this would have been a top-5 draft. The team got their starting RT for free by trading back with the Dolphins, and ended up with four instant starters. Ultimately though, you have to wonder how the team would look if they had taken Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd with the 12th pick while grabbing Johnthan Banks with their 2nd round pick.
*************2012 NFL DRAFT GRADES************
3.95: Tony Bergstrom, OG, Utah
Ugh. My girlfriend asked me who I wanted (my) Raiders to pick, and I said Bobby Massie or Lamar Miller. She then asked who I thought they would take. I replied, "Probably some crappy guard like Tony Bergstrom from Utah." Well Raider fans, you are welcome...
D
4.129 Mile Burris, LB, San Diego State
This is actually a pick that I'm ok with. There were much better values out there, but Burris is a great character with one of the best ball visions that I've ever seen.
5.158 Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State
5.168 Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
This pick I actually like. He isn't a typical Raider guy, but he is a perfect addition (and value)...
A
6.189 Chris Bilukidi, DT, Georgia State
7.230 Nathan Stupar, LB, Penn State
OVERALL GRADE: D
It sucks that the Raiders only had one pick in the top-100, and it is a big reason that they may not have walked away with a single starter. With that said though, the team had a terrible draft. The team reached on every single pick (except one), they didn't address the problem at defensive back at all, and they didn't walk away giving Raider fans a new hope.
*************2011 NFL DRAFT GRADES************
Picks
2.48 Stefen Wisniewski, OG/C, Penn State
It fits a need, but the interior class was good enough to skip a family man. I don't think the team should be taking luxury picks here.
C
3.81 DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami
The team needed some corner depth, but taking DVD here is essentially the team's way of saying goodbye to Nnamdi Asomugha.
B for the pick, F for the loss
3.92 Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
More on this pick in a minute, but I'm ok with it overall given need and potential.
B
4.113 Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State
A second athletic corner pretty much guarantees Nnamdi is gone. Even with that the team has a ton of overrated athletic corners, including the one they overpaid 20 million for earlier in the offseason.
D- / Omega F for giving up on Nnamdi
4.125 Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
Why? Jones will compete to be the 3rd RB on the team, and doesn't offer much that is new.
D-
5.148 Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee
I like this pick. Moore is a guy that could end up getting some very good playing time.
A
6.181 Richard Gordon, TE, Miami
Because I don't like the team taking a blocking tight end here, I will make a joke about how they must have meant to take Robby Gordon, a NASCAR driver that goes fast.
D
7.241 David Ausberry, WR/TE, USC
Puts head in oven...
D
Draft Grade: Better off not drafting (F)
As a Raider fan, let me just start by saying that it is REEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLY HARD being a Raider fan some times. After last years fluke great draft the team made up for it with a terrible one. First off the team doesn't have a 1st round pick because they gave too much to get Richard Seymour. Seymour is a great leader for the defensive line, but was never worth a 1st round pick. Al Davis is essentially Dr. Andre from "The League" when it comes to trading with the Patriots.
Second, the team showed in this draft they essentially won't even try to retain Nnadmi Asomugha, the best corner in the league. The team would rather draft two speedsters in the draft and then give Stanford Routt 25 million more than he is worth. I'm pretty sure cutting Routt and giving Asomugha 25 million extra would have been a better plan, but that's just me. The team also drafted two tight ends, so I'm not sold that Zach Miller is back either.
On to the draft though. Stefen Wisniewski fills a need, but a team with so many issues cannot use a 2nd round luxury pick on an interior lineman, especially in a deep interior class. The team's 3rd and 4th picks were both speedy corners. But don't forget that Dr. Andre decided to trade the 2nd round pick next year (ten picks before they actually got to use their pick) to the Pats for a 3rd and 4th rounder. Those picks were for Joseph Barksdale, an athletic tackle that has little upside over the rest of the guys drafted last year, and also Taiwan Jones who has no purpose on the team. Finish it off with a good pick at receiver, and two bad ones at tight end (Virgil Green was there and they passed!) and you have one of the worst drafts I have ever seen.
Without Nnadmi the entire defense will likely crumble, and the pass rushing pressure will falter. The offense still is average at best (unless the receivers pick up) and the Raiders could be in trouble. Some saw this as the draft for a team that was a few steps away from the playoffs. I honestly think that this team could get the 1st overall pick next year, but we'd probably trade it for Ryan Mallett.
Sorry for the rant, but Fidel Dr. Andre Castro running the team just isn't working.
NEW GRADE: Worse than better off not drafting
It is hard to even look at this page and my original rant because I have had three months to let it sink in and rot. The team found at best one starter at center, and a bunch of reasons for Nnamdi Asomugha to leave. The Chargers, Broncos and Chiefs all got better from the draft, and the Raiders will end up taking about ten steps back by the time the season starts. I really do think that anything good the defense had going last year will crumble when teams are able to throw against the Raiders again, and I really do think that the Raiders will have a very good chance to get the golden ticket in the Andrew Luck Lottery.
1.12 D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
The good thing is that the Raiders were able to get back an early 2nd round pick to move back. They also cut the estimated salary cap of the 3rd pick by about 2.5 million dollars per year just by getting down to the 12th pick. With that said, the Raiders bit in to a player that wasn't going to go in the top-12 before his major life threatening injury. I don't love Hayden, but his stock and value is fair enough compared to a lot of scouts grades.
A-
2.42 Menelik Watson, OT, FSU
Watson was a free pick which is the icing on the cake for the fact that the team got a perfect player to plug into their offensive line.
A
3.66 Sio Moore, OLB, UConn
I don't love Moore myself, but he was a steal here and he could start next season.
B+
4.112 Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
6.172 Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
6.181 Latavius Murray, RB, UCF
6.184 Mychal Rivera, TE, Tennessee
6.205 Stacy McGee, DT, Oklahoma
7.209 Brice Butler, WR, SD State
7.233 David Bass, DE, Missouri Western
OVERALL GRADE: B
If the Raiders had taken someone else in the first round then this would have been a top-5 draft. The team got their starting RT for free by trading back with the Dolphins, and ended up with four instant starters. Ultimately though, you have to wonder how the team would look if they had taken Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd with the 12th pick while grabbing Johnthan Banks with their 2nd round pick.
*************2012 NFL DRAFT GRADES************
3.95: Tony Bergstrom, OG, Utah
Ugh. My girlfriend asked me who I wanted (my) Raiders to pick, and I said Bobby Massie or Lamar Miller. She then asked who I thought they would take. I replied, "Probably some crappy guard like Tony Bergstrom from Utah." Well Raider fans, you are welcome...
D
4.129 Mile Burris, LB, San Diego State
This is actually a pick that I'm ok with. There were much better values out there, but Burris is a great character with one of the best ball visions that I've ever seen.
5.158 Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State
5.168 Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
This pick I actually like. He isn't a typical Raider guy, but he is a perfect addition (and value)...
A
6.189 Chris Bilukidi, DT, Georgia State
7.230 Nathan Stupar, LB, Penn State
OVERALL GRADE: D
It sucks that the Raiders only had one pick in the top-100, and it is a big reason that they may not have walked away with a single starter. With that said though, the team had a terrible draft. The team reached on every single pick (except one), they didn't address the problem at defensive back at all, and they didn't walk away giving Raider fans a new hope.
*************2011 NFL DRAFT GRADES************
Picks
2.48 Stefen Wisniewski, OG/C, Penn State
It fits a need, but the interior class was good enough to skip a family man. I don't think the team should be taking luxury picks here.
C
3.81 DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami
The team needed some corner depth, but taking DVD here is essentially the team's way of saying goodbye to Nnamdi Asomugha.
B for the pick, F for the loss
3.92 Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
More on this pick in a minute, but I'm ok with it overall given need and potential.
B
4.113 Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State
A second athletic corner pretty much guarantees Nnamdi is gone. Even with that the team has a ton of overrated athletic corners, including the one they overpaid 20 million for earlier in the offseason.
D- / Omega F for giving up on Nnamdi
4.125 Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
Why? Jones will compete to be the 3rd RB on the team, and doesn't offer much that is new.
D-
5.148 Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee
I like this pick. Moore is a guy that could end up getting some very good playing time.
A
6.181 Richard Gordon, TE, Miami
Because I don't like the team taking a blocking tight end here, I will make a joke about how they must have meant to take Robby Gordon, a NASCAR driver that goes fast.
D
7.241 David Ausberry, WR/TE, USC
Puts head in oven...
D
Draft Grade: Better off not drafting (F)
As a Raider fan, let me just start by saying that it is REEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLY HARD being a Raider fan some times. After last years fluke great draft the team made up for it with a terrible one. First off the team doesn't have a 1st round pick because they gave too much to get Richard Seymour. Seymour is a great leader for the defensive line, but was never worth a 1st round pick. Al Davis is essentially Dr. Andre from "The League" when it comes to trading with the Patriots.
Second, the team showed in this draft they essentially won't even try to retain Nnadmi Asomugha, the best corner in the league. The team would rather draft two speedsters in the draft and then give Stanford Routt 25 million more than he is worth. I'm pretty sure cutting Routt and giving Asomugha 25 million extra would have been a better plan, but that's just me. The team also drafted two tight ends, so I'm not sold that Zach Miller is back either.
On to the draft though. Stefen Wisniewski fills a need, but a team with so many issues cannot use a 2nd round luxury pick on an interior lineman, especially in a deep interior class. The team's 3rd and 4th picks were both speedy corners. But don't forget that Dr. Andre decided to trade the 2nd round pick next year (ten picks before they actually got to use their pick) to the Pats for a 3rd and 4th rounder. Those picks were for Joseph Barksdale, an athletic tackle that has little upside over the rest of the guys drafted last year, and also Taiwan Jones who has no purpose on the team. Finish it off with a good pick at receiver, and two bad ones at tight end (Virgil Green was there and they passed!) and you have one of the worst drafts I have ever seen.
Without Nnadmi the entire defense will likely crumble, and the pass rushing pressure will falter. The offense still is average at best (unless the receivers pick up) and the Raiders could be in trouble. Some saw this as the draft for a team that was a few steps away from the playoffs. I honestly think that this team could get the 1st overall pick next year, but we'd probably trade it for Ryan Mallett.
Sorry for the rant, but Fidel Dr. Andre Castro running the team just isn't working.
NEW GRADE: Worse than better off not drafting
It is hard to even look at this page and my original rant because I have had three months to let it sink in and rot. The team found at best one starter at center, and a bunch of reasons for Nnamdi Asomugha to leave. The Chargers, Broncos and Chiefs all got better from the draft, and the Raiders will end up taking about ten steps back by the time the season starts. I really do think that anything good the defense had going last year will crumble when teams are able to throw against the Raiders again, and I really do think that the Raiders will have a very good chance to get the golden ticket in the Andrew Luck Lottery.
Tags: "oakland raiders" "raiders draft grade" "2011 nfl draft" "2012 nfl draft"
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