Draft Grades: Raiders

I don't even know where to start with the Raiders. In terms of initial reactions, this was by far the worst draft I've seen in the six years I've been running DraftAce.com.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is a very talented receiver. Unfortunately that talent only comes out in workouts. He rarely makes plays on the field that live up to his physical ability. His apologists are quick to point out the inconsistent play of his quarterbacks at Maryland, but we've seen plenty of receivers in recent years find success in spite of their quarterback's play (Calvin Johnson, Hakeem Nicks to name a few). Heyward-Bey had a chance to develop into a good receiver had he landed in the right system, but being selected by the Raiders could end his career before it even starts. Through no fault of his own, he has been put in a position to fail.

While Heyward-Bey was a reach, at least most felt he was a worthy of a late 1st-round selection. Michael Mitchell, however, was the biggest reach I have ever seen in the draft. Teams reach for players all the time, but never before have I seen a player drafted in the 2nd round that shouldn't have heard his name called at all. Mitchell is a decent athlete, but I don't see him as an impact player in the NFL. He may play for the Raiders right away, but only because safety is a serious question mark for them right now.

Matt Shaughnessy was a reach in the 3rd round. I think he could be a decent player, but defensive end is arguably one of their strengths. With so many needs, I can't justify reaching for another position in the 3rd round. There were still quality players on the board that could have helped in areas of need.

Louis Murphy is a decent 4th round selection. He has speed (of course you probably already knew that since the Raiders drafted him) and he's a decent route runner. He'll be a good 3rd or 4th option at receiver.

Slade Norris played both defensive end and outside linebacker in college but is undersized and will move to linebacker in the NFL. He's very raw and will offer very little immediate help. He's a decent pass rusher, but that's about all he brings to the table at this point in time.

I like Stryker Sulak but he's very similar to Slade Norris. He's a little bigger and could probably play defensive line, but he's a one-dimensional pass rusher.

Brandon Myers will struggle to make the roster. Tight end isn't a need and he doesn't offer much that the Raiders don't already have.

No one had a worse draft than the Raiders. In fact, no one came even close. I've never seen a team make so many horrendous reaches in one draft. The Raiders failed to land a single player that will make an impact in 2009. We can expect to see them drafting in the top 10 again next year.

Grade: F