Al Davis has always been a maverick and marched to the beat of his own drummer but he might have taken things to a whole new level during the 2009 NFL Draft. Simply put, Davis seemed to be working from a different draft board than everybody else, reaching for prospects in a stunning fashion time and time again. Someone playing devil’s advocate might say that Davis has a chance to look like a genius five years from now if his unconventional selections actually pan out, although those odds appear long. The Raiders Draft Day effort has been universally panned but were there any bright spots?

   Even though Oakland was in desperate need of a wide receiver nobody was particularly shocked when they passed on Michael Crabtree, who most had rated as the top prospect at the position, because he didn’t fit the “Raider” profile. However, for many it was a surprise when they chose Maryland Terrapin Darrius Heyward-Bey at #7 overall, making him the first wideout off the board. Count me among those who were stunned. The talk was that it would come down to either Jeremy Maclin or Heyward-Bey for Oakland but ultimately I felt they would go with Maclin, who was a consensus Top 10 talent, over the guy who most felt was a late first rounder. Shame on me for underestimating Davis’ craziness! The Heyward-Bey pick has received a lot of criticism, and rightfully so, but it’s not like the guy isn’t extraordinarily talented. In fact, at 6-1^5/8 and 210 pounds with 4.30 speed “DHB” has everything you look for in a stud wideout physically. The problem is he hasn’t always played up to those measurables and while you can cite poor quarterback play and a lack of touches as reasons for his lackluster college production it’s important to remember that we made those same excuses for uber-bust Troy Williamson back in 2005. There is no denying that Heyward-Bey has all the potential in the world but he is still very raw as a route runner and doesn’t have natural hands, which are two major concerns. The bottom line is that Heyward-Bey has the talent to develop into a top NFL receiver but he also has a huge downside and only time will tell if he’s a track star playing football or if it’s the other way around. Despite his intriguing upside the Raiders pulled the trigger on Heyward-Bey much, much earlier than they should have and that pick was the biggest reach of this year’s first round.

   After shaking up the draft with their first pick the Raiders had set the “Wow Factor” bar pretty high but Al Davis somehow managed to up the ante in round two with the selection of Ohio S Michael Mitchell. That’s right, Oakland took a guy who the vast majority of teams had rated as, at best, a late rounder at #47 overall. Needless to say that wins the award for most stupefying pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, hands down. Now after the fact there was some talk that the Chicago Bears were considering Mitchell in round two as well but it’s never a good sign when you have to justify a pick by saying that there might have been one other team that was almost as stupid. A classic “Workout Warrior”, Mitchell wasn’t invited to the Scouting Combine but he made a big splash at his Pro Day by running a 4.4 forty and posting a 37.5-inch vertical leap at 6-1 and 221 pounds. An extremely physical and aggressive safety, Mitchell should compete for a starting job because the Raiders don’t have much to speak of at the position but that doesn’t change the fact that they selected him an amazing four to five rounds too early. In round three the Raiders continued their trend of reaching for prospects when they selected Wisconsin DE Matt Shaughnessy. Prior to his senior year Shaughnessy looked like a possible Day One pick but after a disappointing 2008 season he was considered to be more of a sixth or seventh rounder by the time Draft Day rolled around. A bit of a ‘tweener, Shaughnessy doesn’t have the ideal bulk you look for in a defensive end or the ideal speed you look for in an outside linebacker but on a positive note he does possess a terrific motor and has the ability to line up at either left or right end. Outside of Derrick Burgess, who is slated to become a free agent following the 2009 season, the Raiders really don’t have much at the defensive end position so Shaughnessy could have an opportunity to get on the field early in his career. With that said Shaughnessy’s upside is limited and Oakland didn’t have to take him so early.

   With the first of two fourth round selections the Raiders chose Florida WR Louis Murphy, which was arguably the best pick they made this year when you factor in both value and need. At 6-2^3/8 and 203 pounds with 4.43 speed Murphy certainly looks the part on paper but he slipped due to some health issues and questions about his hands. Murphy may take some time to adjust to an NFL offense after playing in a spread system with the Gators but he has a lot of upside and was worth taking a flyer on where they did. Murphy should easily win a roster spot and don’t be surprised if he competes for serious playing time as a rookie. After one solid pick the Raiders reverted back to form and reached for Oregon State’s Slade Norris later in round four. An undersized college defensive end who will have to move to outside linebacker at the next level, Norris wasn’t viewed as a draftable prospect by most and profiles as more of a backup and special teamer. For those counting at home Norris was the third prospect with a late round grade that Oakland took in the Top 126 picks.

   The Raiders didn’t have another pick until round six, at which time they opted for Missouri DE Stryker Sulak. Sulak is undersized at just 251 pounds but he is extremely aggressive with a non-stop motor and was a relatively productive pass rusher for Mizzou. A ‘tweener who is also capable of seeing some action at outside linebacker in a 3-4 front, Sulak figures to be used as a pass rush specialist but he will probably make his greatest impact on special teams. With their final pick later on in the sixth round Oakland chose Iowa TE Brandon Myers, who will compete for a backup job behind Zach Miller as a blocking specialist.


   Anyone will tell you that it is unfair to rate a draft until a few years have passed and even though the Raiders are getting panned for their effort now perhaps this class will wind up being a lot better than people think. However, in the NFL Draft it’s not just about who you take but also where you take them so even if Darrius Heyward-Bey, Michael Mitchell, Matt Shaughnessy and Slade Norris outperform expectations that won’t change the fact that they were drafted much earlier than they should’ve been. Will this crop of rookies be another feather in the cap of renegade Hall of Famer Al Davis or will it serve as yet another example of why this once proud Raider franchise has been mired in despair for so many years? Only time will tell.