Edweirdo's Oakland Raiders Report

Raiders 2006 Draft Report Card

SUMMARY: the Raiders addressed their 3 biggest needs (OLB, S, OG) with good-value picks throughout the draft. The Raiders drafted 2 players for OLB (Howard, Bing), 2 players for OG (McQuistan, Boothe), and one of the best all-around DBs to enter the draft in years. For the record, I predicted the picks of Huff and Howard before the draft :)

I've graded each of the Raiders picks for

1. Value: was the pick a good value or a reach? Graded A-F. I give an "A" grade if the player is BPA (Best Player Available) and a "B" if the player is a solid value. E.g. Reggie Bush@#2 is an A+ (he was projected to go #1), S Donte Whitner@#8 is a D (he was projected to go in the teens). This is subjective and based partly on the draft boards from The Huddle Report (THR) and Rick Gosselin (RG). Gosselin and THR have been the most consistent draft boards year after year.
   • Most draft purists argue that value is the most important aspect when drafting a player. People often look at the draft as a shopping list of needs, but the danger with drafting players based on need is that you often pass up far better football players. Jon Kingdon, the director of college scouting for the Raiders, said that the Raiders have always tried to go with the best player available
   • The Raiders have their own system from evaluating players, whereas many NFL teams share scouting resources such as BLESTO and National. So the Raiders take on a given player may differ from the mainstream. The Raiders put a premium on players with great measurables (height/weight and athleticism)
2. Physique: does the player have the ideal NFL size/build for his position? E.g. is he long-armed if he's an OL/DL? Graded A-F.
3. Football Ability: is this guy instinctive, consistent, smart? Does he have good technique? Does he make plays? Graded A-F.
4. Athletic Ability: is he fast, agile, strong, flexible, etc. Basically this rates the player's performance in measurable tests. Graded A-F.
5. Character/Injury Risk?: is this guy a character risk? And/or has he had durability issues or injuries that will affect his NFL career?

My take on our needs (in order of priority): OLB S OG RB DT QB

Heights and weights per the Combine.

1st round (#7 overall): S MICHAEL HUFF

Value: A (ranked #7 by THR, #8 by RG) | Physique: B (6-0 203) | Football Ability: A | Athletic Ability: A | Character/Injury Risk: absolutely no

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

Videos: 1

Huff is an elite talent, a rare DB who can play any position in the secondary. He anchored the defensive backfield for the national champion Longhorns. He is one of the most complete DBs to enter the draft in years: he has instincts, leadership, toughness, coverage skills, closing burst, speed, ballhawking skills, and size. He was a model of consistency. When asked to line up at CB, Huff shut down opposing star receivers, such as 2005 1st rounder Mark Clayton. The only weakness in Huff's game: he sometimes tackles high. I'm sure the Raiders coaches will work with him to change that. Huff proved at the NFL Combine that he is every bit as good an athlete as he is a football player: 4.34 40, 21 reps, 40.5" vertical. If I had to differentiate him from former Raiders DB Charles Woodson, the biggest difference is that Huff has the work ethic to be a great player. You could argue that Leinart would have been the better value pick, but I believe Huff is the safer one. He is an exceptional football player and can step right in at SS to fill a big need for the Silver & Black. I LOVE THE PICK!

2nd round (#38 overall): OLB THOMAS HOWARD

Value: B (ranked #47 by THR, #47 by RG) | Physique: B (6-3 240) | Football Ability: B- | Athletic Ability: A | Character/Injury Risk: no

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

Howard fits the mold of the classic Raiders pick: he's a player with size and tremendous athleticism. Howard was the second fastest LB at the NFL Combine: 4.44 40, 21 reps, 39" vertical. Howard is solid in coverage and has the height to matchup with the athletic TEs in the AFC West, so the Raiders will likely work him in at SLB. He had a good showing at the Senior Bowl practices, according to draftdaddy.com:

Thomas Howard looked very quick indeed. Great in agility drills when he's not overthinking - can shuck blockers, if they catch up to him... Takes instruction well and definately looks the part. A lump of clay ready for NFL coaches to mold and one could tell when at the end of the practice he was surrounded by the following teams: Redskins, Bucs, Steelers, Jets, Giants, Dolphins and those are just the ones I saw on the field... I'd bet dollars to donuts there are teams swarming him at the hotel as well. Coming from UTEP he's a bit of an unknown quantity compared to these other well known players, that coupled with the speed factor make him an interesting prospect for many. Stock watch: late first/early second on our board.

The knock on Howard is he lacks instincts and can be slow to read and react. But with his height and superb athleticism, if Howard can bulk up and be coached up, he will be a force.

3rd round (#69 overall): OG PAUL MCQUISTAN

Value: C+ (ranked #92 by THR, #85 by RG) | Physique: A- (6-6 313) | Football Ability: B+ | Athletic Ability: B- | Character/Injury Risk: no

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

I had never heard of the guy prior to Saturday, but I'm encouraged by GM Jr's evaluation:

Overall, McQuistan is probably going to be drafted lower because of his lack of athletic ability. However, he has all the intangibles to be a good NFL starter for a long time. He really competes and attacks defensive linemen with a fervor that few linemen show. McQuistan can be a good starting guard in the NFL

McQuistan is the kind of big and nasty OL that the Raiders tend to favor, and he should be a good fit for the power running game. He played at OT in college and had a good performance at the Shrine Game. McQuistan moved up draft boards in the past few months and, along with Kevin Boothe, was regarded as one of the top I-AA prospects (references: 1, 2). McQuistan put up solid numbers at the Combine: 5.07 40, 28 reps, 28.5" vertical.

4th round (#101 overall): S DARNELL BING

Value: A- (ranked #56 by THR, #80 by RG) | Physique: A for S, C+ for OLB (6-2 225) | Football Ability: B | Athletic Ability: B | Character/Injury Risk: some minor injuries, academic problems

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

The Raiders nabbed their 2nd DB from the Rose Bowl game, this time from the Trojans. There was speculation that the Raiders were interested in Bing before the draft. They were able to pick him up as an excellent value to start Day 2. The Raiders will convert Bing to OLB. I am not a fan of conversion projects across units (e.g. DL->LB, LB->DL, etc), as they slow a player's development. That being said, OLB->S and S->OLB conversions are fairly common. With his experience at S, Bing should be very effective in coverage as an OLB. He was an aggressive tackler at USC, and if can add ~10 pounds, he'll have adequate bulk to play at his new position. Art Shell confirmed that is how the Raiders will develop Bing:

He's 227 so he could easily add another 10 pounds without any problem. He can run and he can cover, qualities a linebacker has to have to take on tight ends.

While Bing does not have a great 40 speed (~4.55), he had a good workout at USC's Pro Day with a 38" vertical and a superb 6.80 3-cone drill.

6th round (#176 overall): OG KEVIN BOOTHE

Value: B+ (ranked #143 by THR) | Physique: B+ (6-4 315) | Football Ability: B- | Athletic Ability: C+ | Character/Injury Risk: hand and ankle injuries

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

Like McQuistan, Boothe is a big, long-armed college OT who will probably shift to OG in the NFL. He was identified by Mel Kiper Jr and NFL Draft Countdown as a "sleeper". An Ivy Leaguer, he is intelligent and will need time to adjust to the level of competition in the pros. He has dropped over 50 lbs from his freshman year. It's possible that extra weight contributed to some injury issues he had in high school and college.

7th round (#214 overall): OC CHRIS MORRIS

Scouting reports: GM Jr, NFL Draft Countdown

An interesting pick. Adam Treu has been a versatile OC/long snapper for the Raiders for years. Perhaps the Raiders are thinking about the future.

7th round (#255 overall): WR KEVIN MCMAHAN

Scouting reports: GM Jr

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