Oakland Raiders Draft Analysis

The Oakland Raiders have been the butt of many jokes the past few seasons particularly after their last draft in 2009 and after a decade of incompetence on the football field. Known for taking too many risks in the draft and for drafting players merely based on their potential the Raiders changed course this year and probably had their best draft in ages by actually drafting players based on need and not potential. Raider fans have a lot to be excited about based on the Raiders 2010 draft which was their best in years if not decades!

The Oakland Raiders ended the 2009 season as football team that had all kinds of problems stopping the run as well as running the ball themselves. According to head coach Tom Cable the Raiders were to address the line of scrimmage from both sides of the ball. The plan, according to Cable, was to pick players that had years of experience starting in major college football programs as well as to fill positions of need along the line of scrimmage...

Nfl 2012

The Raiders began the draft by picking inside linebacker Rolando McClain out of Alabama. McClain is a run stuffer and started for Alabama for 3 years as well as called an NFL style defense while at Alabama under Nick Saban. McClain was the best middle linebacker coming out of college and is a great pick for the Raiders because he will help them stop the run which was a major weakness for the team last year.

With their second pick in the draft in the second round, the Raiders selected defensive tackle Lamarr Houston out of Texas. Like McClain, Houston started at Texas for 3 years and played against the best college football players in the country. Both players also played in the BCS National Championship game. Houston is known as an extremely quick run stopper with excellent pursuit along the line of scrimmage. For the second straight pick in the draft the Raiders drafted somebody that should help them against the run and somebody that should be able to step in and start immediately something that the Raiders desperately needed on the defensive side of the ball...

With their two first picks addressing the defense many Raider fans began to wonder if all the other weak areas of the team, particularly the offensive line, would be addressed and the Raiders responded admirably.

With their first pick in the third round the Raiders picked Jared Veldheer a mamoth 6'8", 312 lb. tackle from little known, division 2 college Hillsdale. According to coach Tom Cable, Veldheer should compete for the left tackle spot this year so it should be interesting to see how Veldheer makes the jump from a small college to the NFL.

With their first pick in the fourth round the Raiders picked Bruce Campbell, 6'6" 315 lbs, out of Maryland. A lot of experts saw Bruce Campbell as the first round pick for the Raiders because of his impressive physique and his performance at the NFL combine and because of their propensity in past years to pick players based purely on raw talent. For the Raiders to draft this guy in the fourth round was huge because he could potentially start for them at right guard along the offensive line this season.

Also in the fourth round the Raiders drafted a speedster out of Syracuse by the name of Jacoby Ford. Ford is a little guy but the Raiders plan to use him for returning kicks and punts next season which was another huge area of need for the Raiders - a decent return game on special teams.

But the biggest change the Raiders made on the NFL draft weekend was the trade for recently benched Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell. For the past few seasons the Raiders have started their number one pick in the 2007 draft JaMarcus Russell who has been nothing short of a huge bust - probably the biggest bust ever in the NFL.

Trading for an NFL caliber starting QB in Jason Campbell and giving up only a fourth round draft pick in the 2012 draft capped off a huge weekend for the Raiders and will surely be remembered by Raiders fans as the weekend the Oakland Raiders officially came back!

Oakland Raiders Draft Analysis

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Oakland Raiders 2010 Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions

The Raiders can't possibly get any worse, right? Oakland finished 5-11 last season for its NFL-record seventh consecutive season with at least 11 losses, and the Raiders are 29-83 since losing to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.

But perhaps Oakland will have a little addition by subtraction this season after cutting loose overweight, unmotivated 2007 No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, who could go down as the biggest draft bust ever. Last season Russell completed only 48.8 percent of his passes and had three touchdowns to go with 11 picks and a 50.0 rating. Oakland pulled the plug following a dismal Week 10 game against the Chiefs, although he did get into a few later games because of injuries to Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye. Overall, Russell earned an obscene million and led the team to a 7-18 record as a starter.

Nfl 2012

The Raiders should have at least some stability at the position this year with former Redskin Jason Campbell, who came over from Washington for a 2012 fourth-round pick. Campbell started 52 games for Washington since being a first-round pick in 2005. He has thrown for 55 touchdowns, 38 interceptions and has a career passer rating of 82.3. That is absolutely an upgrade over Russell. The Raiders were second to last in the NFL in scoring with 197 points last season and gained the second-fewest yards.

Oakland should have a solid defense, as the Raiders love 2010 first-round NFL Draft pick Rolando McClain, a linebacker from Alabama who should be in the Defensive Rookie of the Year running. Oakland also acquired former first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley from the Browns, and he had four sacks in the preseason win over the Bears. Plus Nnamdi Asomugha remains the best cornerback in the league not named Revis.

But these are, of course, the Raiders, and 2008 first-rounder Darren McFadden hasn't been able to get on the field much in camp or the preseason because of a hamstring issue, pretty much handing the No. 1 running back job to Michael Bush. Last year's first-rounder, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, also has missed time with fatigue (fatigue?). Neither looks like they will live up to where they were picked. And up-and-coming receiver Chaz Schilens may need arthroscopic surgery on his knee that could put his status for opening day in jeopardy. Schilens had 29 catches for 365 yards and two touchdowns last season after missing the first eight games with a broken foot.

At least Oakland has one of the best kicking games in the NFL!

Many oddsmakers have pegged the Raiders as a potential surprise team this year - not playoff-contention surprise but at least able to not lose double-digit games again. Oakland's 'over/under' for NFL season win totals is 6. Let's break down the 2010 Oakland Raiders schedule (all times Eastern):

Week 1: Sunday, Sep. 12, at Tennessee, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, St. Louis, 4:05 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, at Arizona, 4:15 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, Houston, 4:05 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, San Diego, 4:15 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at San Francisco, 4:05 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, at Denver, 4:15 PM
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 31, Seattle, 4:15 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, Kansas City, 4:15 PM
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, Miami, 4:05 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, at San Diego, 4:05 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 12, at Jacksonville, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, Denver, 4:15 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, Indianapolis, 4:05 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, at Kansas City, 1:00 PM

This schedule is rated right in the middle (T16) among NFL teams in opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.500 (128-128). There are only four games against playoff teams.

This may not rank as the easiest schedule in the league it certainly looks like one of them when it comes to NFL picks. As bad as the Rams and Cardinals have looked in the preseason, it's realistic to think Oakland could actually have a 2-1 September, probably losing at Tennessee (which is a 6.5-point favorite). And travel shouldn't be a problem for this team as after playing at Tennessee, the Raiders don't cross the country until Week 11 when they play at Pittsburgh.

The Raiders don't play a divisional rival until Week 5 against the Chargers. And they don't play any back-to-back games against AFC West opponents. Is this the year Oakland finally beats San Diego? The Bolts have won 13 in a row in the series, the longest active NFL winning streak by one team over another.

That Oct. 3 game against Houston likely starts three in a row against 2010 playoff teams, but then the Raiders - believe it or not - could go on a three-game winning streak. The NFL handicapping indicates they should actually be home favorites against the Seahawks and Chiefs and have won in Denver the past two years.

Probably the only legitimate road chance Oakland has after the bye comes in what should be the team's lone cold-weather game, in K.C. But the Raiders have won there the past three years.

I love the 'over' 6 here because I don't think there's a chance that the Raiders do worse than a push. But I expect a 7-9 record and maybe even a second-place finish in the AFC West. Better things may finally be ahead for this team.

Oakland Raiders 2010 Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions

Doc Moseman is one of the pioneers of college football and the NFL Handicapping industry. Check out his Web site for up-to-the-minute NFL Odds and his famous winning college football and NFL picks.