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Defensive End Ohio State |
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ANALYSIS: A lot of people are expecting Al Davis to be Al Davis and snap up the flashiest player available in Darren McFadden, but I believe that even Al will be able to see that adding another running back, even one as talented as McFadden, to an already bloated backfield would be a mistake. The Raiders already have Justin Fargas, Dominic Rhodes, Michael Bush, and LaMont Jordan on the depth chart, and while none of them may be the second coming of Marcus Allen, they did rank 6th in the league last year in rush yards per game. Fargas, especially, is showing that he deserves his role in the backfield and his new 3-year $12 million contract, another strike against the selection of McFadden. Since as of now this is their only pick on day one, the Raiders will probably want to draft a guy who won't just become part of a crowded backfield. The good news for Al Davis' flash addiction is that there is a guy on the other side of the ball who would fill a dire need for the Silver & Black and look flashy doing it in defensive end Vernon Gholston. Simply put, Gholston is a freakish physical specimen and was dominant down the stretch in his last year at Ohio State, and will only get better with pro-level coaching. In his final season at OSU, he posted 37 tackles, 15.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, and 14 sacks. He made Jake Long, the top OT prospect in the draft, look like amateur-hour at times during this year's Buckeyes/Wolverines game. Not to mention his eye-popping performances at the Combine (where he ranked at or near the top in virtually every drill) and the OSU pro day. The type of guy who can disrupt the entire offense, Gholston could turn into one of the elite defensive players in the NFL. Combined with Derrick Burgess, Oakland would suddenly have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Add to the fact that Oakland seems hell-bent on improving its defense lately with the DeAngelo Hall trade and the big Tommy Kelly deal, and it seems that Gholston could be a perfect fit. |
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| Pick | Player | Drafter | Analysis | |||
| 1 | Jake Long | McRipper | Details | |||
| 2 | Chris Long | Chad | Details | |||
| 3 | Glenn Dorsey | mas12 | Details | |||
| 4 | Vernon Gholston | Doctor Chicago | Details | |||
See a list of the mock draft participants
The Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock...