Short on picks, do Raiders go Long on 4th?

"All eyes were on the Raiders at this point last year. They had the first pick in the NFL draft and weren't tipping their hand, even if everyone assumed they were intent upon selecting quarterback JaMarcus Russell.
This year, the Raiders have the fourth pick and can't be certain which player they will get in the first round on Saturday. However, they are likely to get a player who'll get a good chance to make an immediate contribution.

That first pick carries added significance this year because the Raiders are without second-, third- and fifth-round picks by virtue of trades they made last year and this offseason. Overall, the Raiders have picks in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds -- with two in the latter round.

"We don't have a lot of picks in the draft," Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said at the NFL owners meeting in late March. "The first pick, obviously, is a significant one, being the fourth overall. Potentially, we could trade down, obviously."

Don't count on that, coach. Raiders managing general partner Al Davis' history is that of someone who trades up in the first round, not down.

Since 1996, the Raiders traded up in the first round so that they could select tight end Rickey Dudley, defensive tackle Darrell Russell, offensive tackle Mo Collins and cornerbacks Phillip Buchanon and Fabian Washington. Not once during that time have they traded down in the first round."

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