2009 NFL Draft Open Thread: Pre-Draft 8AM PT

From reports, we are going to get Heyward-Bey or Maclin. I would be somewhat okay with Heyward-Bey, but Maclin, I would be very disappointed. 4.4 is definitely Al Davis speed.

Michael Crabtree would be my choice if I can get to choose and I hope Al feels the same. I still hope he grab Raji and tries to fix the run defense.

I’m hoping for Andre Smith in the first round. I watched him for 3 years at Alabama and he is a beast.

With Satele, Carlisle and Gallery would give us a solid O-Line for YEARS to come.

Bud Light kinda beat me to what I was gonna say, but i"ll repeat it since we disagree on Orakpo.

Orakpo is the definition of the workout warrior and those guys are always boom or bust. The Raiders have GOT to draft well because things FINALLY seem like they could be on the right track and even if he is there, we can’t take the risk of a Derrick Harvey or Vernon Gholston situation.

I think Orakpo is unlikely regardless because I read somewhere (forget where, but it was a reputable source) that Al is really really high on Trevor Scott’s potential and sees him as an anchor at end for years to come and is apparently content to have Jay Richardson or Burgess or whoever hold down the other side.

So many sports writers seem to be pretending that Mario Henderson doesn’t even exist, despite the fact that he manned J-Russ’s blindside, shut down some of the best pass rushers int he game and was rarely whistled for penalties.

With Henderson on the left and Oher or Smith—the two best run blockers in the draft—manning the right for D-Mac and Bush and Huggy Bear….we’ll have something big.

If we take DHB with #7 I will join everyone’s pukefest here. I just can’t understand why so many people rate him so highly. I have him as an early second rounder. There’s too many questions about him to my way of thinking to justify a top-10 pick. If he’s still there and we take him with our second pick, I won’t say a word. He’s a good project to take there.

As for Maclin…..have to disagree with my fellow Raiders fanatics, much as I hate to.

Read this detailed scouting report and tell me you wouldn’t LOVE having this kid here:

Some highlights:

Athletic Ability: Maclin has good overall muscle development and appears to have more than enough strength to defeat the jam. He demonstrates an explosive burst coming off the snap and the loose hips to make defenders miss when weaving through traffic. He shows that second gear to turn a slant pass into a long gainer, and with his exceptional playing speed and burst he can proudly proclaim that he has never been tackled from behind during his career. He is much more than just a receiver, as he has the lower body power to handle the rushing load and break tackles working through the pile. He also displays the vision and patience to follow his blockers and then turn on the after-burners to beat the defense down the sidelines. He has outstanding hip snap and agility to elude in attempts to gain big yardage after the catch. He makes smooth body adjustments and possesses solid hands and extension to catch away from his frame. He has outstanding balance, speed and change-of-direction agility. He shows the second-level speed and explosiveness with a fluid natural running motion to run past most defenders in isolated coverage.

Football Sense: Maclin has incredible vision and a great feel for locating the soft spots on the field. He might take his eyes off the ball a few times, but is quick to recover and settle under the pass. He needs route refinement, but is alert to pocket pressure and works back quickly when the quarterback is flushed out. He shows keen awareness on the field, especially with keeping his feet along the sidelines. He is quick to settle into the holes in the zone and is very effective as a cut blocker because of his feel for taking angles. He finds the open areas quickly and does a nice job of working back for the ball, but at this stage of the game he relies more on his speed rather than football experience. He is a good learner who needs just a few reps, thanks to solid retention skills.

Character: Maclin is outgoing and warm-hearted, displaying a work ethic that even the most impatient coach will fall in love with. He has no character issues and even though he was an underclassman, he did a good job of concentrating on academics

Competitiveness: Maclin is not the type who plays with a swagger, letting his final statistics speak volumes for his competitive nature. He is fearless going for the ball in traffic and will sacrifice himself without hesitation to make the play. He loves to compete and is very confident with producing when his number is called during crunch time (came up with four game-winning plays in 28 contests). He is very tough and aggressive going for the ball, but you would like to see him take a more aggressive approach when facing up as a blocker. When on his game, he will give a good, consistently high effort and he always comes prepared to play, but will sometimes frustrate the coaches by taking the ball out of bounds rather than attempt to drive through the defender. He will perform through pain.

Work Habits: To Maclin, football is important. He is a good worker in all areas, a team-first guy who is generally the last to leave the practice field. He is not the type who needs to be pushed a bit in the weight room, an area that he always embraces. While most draft eligibles left home in January to work at training facilities in preparation for the Combine, Maclin was a regular visitor at the Missouri training facility, preferring to work out on his own. That work ethic produced one of the better Combine results by a player in 2009

Seriously, guys….re-consider your feelings on Maclin. He and Russell could be a lethal combination.

THAT BEING SAID….I still would take Oher or Smith with our pick because there are so many good receivers that guys like Robieskie or maybe even Hakeem Nicks will be sitting right there in the second round.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN is reporting (jsut on SportsCenter, no link up yet that I know) that the Cardinals have lowered their demands for Anquan Boldin to a second rounder and “other considerations.”

Wonder what those would be.

They’re in need of a running game. Our 2nd + Fargas? I hate to see him go, but with Bush and D-Mac and with the benefit of getting such an AMAZING receiver for Rusell, it might be worth it.

If, by some miracle (and an act of God is what it will take) Aaron Curry would fall to #7….I hope we don’t even hesitate. That’s a GIFT to have a player that talented fall into your lap, even if your priority is offense in this draft.

Okay, I’ll stop monopolizing the comments now :-)

According to KFFL, Vaughn has risen up the charts AND the Rams are looking at WR in the 2nd.

Rams | Would be willing to trade down in second round
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Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:27:39 -0700

Jim Thomas, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports the St. Louis Rams have let it be known that they are willing to trade down in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft.

Rams | Looking at wide receiver in second round of NFL Draft?
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Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:41:50 -0700

Jim Thomas, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports the St. Louis Rams would love to see either Maryland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey or North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks fall to the team in the second round of the NFL Draft.

Bills | Have considerable interest in Vaughn
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Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:39:01 -0700

Tyler Dunne, of BuffaloFootballReport.com, reports the Buffalo Bills are one of four to five teams that have expressed “considerable interest” in Wake Forest S Chip Vaughn, according to a league source.

Seahawks | Could draft C. Vaughn in third round
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Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:25:33 -0700

Tyler Dunne, of BuffaloFootballReport.com, reports the Seattle Seahawks will draft Wake Forest S Chip Vaughn if he is still available in the third round of the NFL Draft, according to a league source.

….given Stafford’s ridiculous contract, can we expect apologies from all the sportswriters who took Davis to task for Russell’s contract? No, I dont’ think so either.

and trading burgess and trading Walter.

Look for Orkapo to fall to us everyone. I can almost guarantee it. I’m 95% sure.

i also hope kiper is right and we get monroe.

Russell, McFadden and Crabtree

Is today going to include the second round?

Normally I don’t say good luck to AFC West opponents, but I really look forward to the AFC West regaining its’ historic prominence. Plus, Saint has a good site and KAIZ3R and some other raiders fans are good people to blog with.

Stafford to Lions

Aaron Curry?

Isn’t their LB corp pretty young?

Aaron Curry

So Monroe, Crabtree still on the board at #6

Raiders are on the clock

NFL Network sez Crabtree to 49ers is a possibility

Crabtree?

We need to choose which thread to be in; I’m getting confused switching between the two.

They could have easily traded back and picked up DHB later on.

There seems to be more activity