2008 Draft Wrap
April 27th, 2008- 1 Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Personally, I would have rather the Raiders took Dorsey, but that said, McFadden might be the big play guy the Raiders have been missing for years. His character issues and skinny legs bother me, but we’ll see what happens. One thing about the NFL Network coverage - this guy was a human highlight reel and yet after the Raiders picked him, they show a couple of ten yard gains and a bunch of plays highlighting how easy he is to tackle low. All other picks had a nice set of positive plays in their highlights. And they wonder why we Raider fans say the media is biased.
- 4a Tyvon Branch, CB, Connecticut
The Raiders did their typical second day move of trading a lower round pick to move up a few slots to get their guy, giving up a 7th to Dallas to go from 105 to 100. Surprise! They picked a fast cornerback. Don’t know the guy outside of what I read, but he sounds like a great athlete and he looked awesome in his combine video. But why a cornerback? I saw where Jason Jones said he thought he’d be a safety, bso if that’s the case it makes more sense. If he can return kicks, then even better. Higgins is a bust and I don’t want him back there on either punts or kickoffs - he’s too frail and fumbles too easily. I like the Branch pick….especially if he is a good tackler and unseats Schweigert at Safety. Not a choirboy though, as he was involved in a pellet gun shooting incident with four other Uconn players in 2005. The media will have some fun with that story as well as McFaddens history.
- 4b Arman Shields, WR, Richmond
This guy looked good in his combine video as well. Size, speed, and leaping ability. He came from just down I-64 too - the Richmond Spiders. Another guy who had a dazzling time in the 40. Why are the Raiders so smitten with guys who are a hundredth of a second faster in the 40? Didn’t they learn their lesson with James Jett? At least this guy has size and seems to be a football player first, track star second.The Shields pick came in a trade with Baltimore for former first round pick, Fabian Washington. Now that’s depressing. A former first for a fourth. The Raiders even traded up to get Washington that year. Fabian’s only 24 and he can still be a good one. I think this was way too cheap. It’ll make much less sense if Shields isn’t a player too.
- 6 Trevor Scott, DE, Buffalo
This guy started out at TE in college and Buffalo is not exactly an football powerhouse, but maybe the Raiders saw something in him. Great workout numbers again here (yes, and speed), and a competitor with a good motor, but he’s a project. Sounds a little too much like Tyler Brayton, but at least if he doesn’t pan out, it’s just a 6th rounder. Had some sacks but his thin lower body frame is a concern.
- 7 Chaz Schilens, WR, San Diego State
Can a guy named Chaz make it in the NFL? Not much scouting info on this guy. He wasn’t even listed with all the other San Diego State players eligible to be drafted on NFL.com until well after the Raiders picked him. Even then, the data was sparse. Just three lines: “Schilens excites people because of his exceptional size and speed. Due to his pure athleticism, he will have a chance to make the roster. He still needs some polish as a receiver.” Jason Jones has a YouTube video of the guy though and, although the video quality is pretty bad, the dude looks like an exciting player. Big, really big, too. It’s the seventh round, so why not?
In summary, and as usual, a lot of great athletes, but at least this year they’re also decent football players in terms of production on the field. McFadden was a TD machine, Shields had some 100 yard games , and Scott led the team in sacks two years in a row. Character issues with the top two picks are troubling as well. McFadden, Branch, Shields, and Schilens would make a great relay team. I just hope they can play some football at this level. McFadden is the key - will he be the home run hitter we need? It’s gonna be a lot of fun watching them.
Nightmare scenario: Glenn Dorsey terrorizing the Raider backfield twice each year, consistently overpowering the weak center of our OL. Dorsey hitting McFadden hard and low behind the line of scrimmage, causing an ACL tear. Noooooooooo!
For Raider fans, when the