100% Match Bonus Offer!
For a limited time-Deposit up to $50 in a new acccount at Bodog and receive a 100% match bonus!
Bookmaker.com 20% Deposit Bonus
Just open a new account and deposit at least $300 for a 20% cash bonus!

2009 NFL Mock Draft: Oakland Raiders


Written April 16, 2009 by Black Widow

oakland-raiders-2009-mock-draft-041609The Raiders enter the offseason with serious concerns on both sides of the ball. Tom Cable will have his hands full, but he’s been given the opportunity by Al Davis to resurrect this team after a decent finish last season. The club has to be optimistic after QB JaMarcus Russell led it to back-to-back victories to end the season. The No. 1 overall pick in ‘07 draft showed improvement and they hope he is on the verge of taking his game to the next level. Top priorities for Davis are to find Russell some WR weapons and putting blockers in front of him, as well. The Raiders re-signed two key players in the offseason in CB Nnamdi Asomugha and P Shane Lechler so they’re off to a good start this offseason.  A Raiders’ Fan Blog, Thoughts From the Dark Side, asks whether or not Oakland is looking at taking a QB in this year’s draft.  Here the top five positions I think the Raiders need to address in the 2009 NFL draft.

1.) Offensive Tackle - Oakland could use an upgrade at both tackle positions. Right tackle may be a bigger priority this offseason because Mario Henderson finished the year strong on the left side after replacing Kwame Harris. ORT Cornell Green hasn’t played well enough to give much confidence, committing too many penalties and getting beaten on a regular basis. They Raiders have to look to replace him to give QB Russell a better chance to succeed. He hasn’t had the opportunity to play behind a sturdy O-Line, which is half the problem. The Raiders signed T Khalif Barnes, C Samson Satele and G Marcus Johnson in the offseason to help matters, but still some reinforcement on the outside via Draft would help even more. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: OT Michael Oher (Ole Miss), OT Jamon Meredith (South Carolina), OT Augustus Parrish (Kent State).

2.) Wide Receiver - The Raiders’ receiving corps is pretty bare to say the least, giving Russell few capable targets to choose from. Oakland has relied too heavily on its ground game the past two seasons, but to achieve more balance, adding some skilled pass-catchers has to be close to the list when it comes to offseason priorities. Javon Walker was paid a large chunk of change to become the team’s No. 1 receiver, but he did not pan out and finished the year in the I.R. Walker may not be the long-term solution if he doesn’t improve this season, and Ronald Curry has been cut in the offseason. Russell badly needs a weapon in the receiving corps to get the aerial attack moving. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: WR Jeremy Maclin (Missouri), WR DeMetrius Byrd (LSU).

3.) Defensive Tackle - Oakland’s run defense finished 31st in the league last season, allowing 159.7 rushing yards per game. Only the winless Lions were worse. The Raiders are likely to address the issue by making some changes to the interior of their defensive line. Al Davis has paid DT’s Tommy Kelly and Gerald Warren very well, but neither has delivered. The Raiders have two very talented linebackers in Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard, and if they played behind a D-Line on which the tackles consistently plugged gaps and knocked O-Linemen back a step, this run “D” would likely improve. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: DT B.J. Raji (Boston College).

4.) Cornerback - The Raiders re-signed arguably their best player in Nnamdi Asomugha, but the other corner opposite him is Chris Johnson and he is a free agent this offseason. Johnson played well after replacing DeAngelo Hall, who was waived midseason. If he leaves, corner will become a much higher priority than it is on this list. But still adding depth here is a priority. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: CB Vontae Davis (Illinois), CB Bradley Fletcher (Iowa).

5.) Free Safety - Michael Huff continue to look like a first-round bust last season after moving from strong to free safety. He was yanked from the starting lineup by interim coach Tom Cable and replaced by Hiram Eugene, who did little to guarantee himself a starting spot heading into 2009. The Raiders may be prepared to part ways with Huff and will be on the prowl for his replacement. Good Fits in ‘09 Draft Class: FS Chip Vaughn (Wake Forest), FS Lendy Holmes (Oklahoma).

Get NFL expert picks this season to help you win more when you bet on NFL games.  Our top cappers can help you beat the NFL point spreads all season long with their top-rated football picks.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

3 Comments

Subscribe to the BetFirms RSS Feed


Comments

3 Responses to “2009 NFL Mock Draft: Oakland Raiders”

  1. David on April 16th, 2009 3:29 pm

    Chris Johnson isn’t a free agent. They already re-singed him.
    And they have Supermario Henderson and Barnes most likely to start. Huff’s contract is still alive. Nothing we can do about it. Here’s my version:
    1. WR
    2. DT
    3. SS
    4. LB/OLB
    5. new owner

    Reply

  2. Josh on April 16th, 2009 10:42 pm

    I really hope with their first pick they go with the best wr on the board. Be it Michel Crabtree or Jermy Maclin. That with Mc Fadden healthy I think great things are to come.

    Reply

  3. clay stonestreet on April 25th, 2009 5:48 pm

    e need pat white to take alot of pressure off off jamarcus

    Reply

Got something to say?