A week has passed since the 2009 NFL draft took place and I've got a couple random thoughts concerning the Oakland Raiders and their top selection.
The Raiders took a Wide Receiver from Maryland named Darrius Heyward-Bey with the 7th pick. First reaction, whoops, that was dumb. With another wideout named Michael Crabtree still on the board and a number of highly touted Offensive and Defensive Lineman as well, the Oakland brass definitely did not use this pick constructively. Hold on though, not so fast, (which is exactly what Darrius Heyward-Bey, or DHB as I like to call him, brings to the table....speed. 4.29 forty) this pick just might pan out more than the entire world suspects. DHB is from Maryland which happens to be a school that has produced quite a few successful NFL players. Shawne Merriman is one. Vernon Davis isn't quite there yet, but he could be one, considering the fact that he has a world of potential. Quarterbacks Boomer Esiason and Frank Reich rep'd the Turtles. Both of those guys (especially Esiason) had pretty good careers in the league. Ultimately, the school has had a minor legacy of shelling out NFL talent and hopefully, DHB can follow in the footsteps.
How sweet would it be if current Raiders receiver Johnie Lee Higgins added "Lee" to his name on the back of his Oakland jersey? Then, Oakland would have two really fast receivers with two names on the back of their jerseys, "Lee Higgins" and "Heyward-Bey." Don't ask me why but I think that would be tight.
I predict that there will be great highlights between JaMarcus Russell and DHB in the future, but doesn't the Quarterback need four to five seconds to get a streaking receiver the ball? Oakland probably could've taken an Offensive Lineman with the 7th pick and then turned around and grabbed DHB in the 2nd round with the 40th pick. That way, they'd have someone to help protect the Quarterback as well as the speedy receiver Al Davis always covets. Best of both worlds.
DHB definitely has the raw athletic ability to succeed in the NFL. The knock on him is that he has hands of stone. Well, you can't teach speed, but you certainly can teach someone to get better at catching the ball. Where's Tim Brown? Ask him to come to practice and offer the kid some advice.
Lastly, a lot of NFL draft analysts give teams a certain grade based on how they drafted. As most of you already know, the Raiders got an "F" for selecting DHB in the 1st round. I think draft grades are an absolute irrelevant joke. How can you give a team a grade for drafting a player that's never played a professional game? The Mel Kipers and the Todd McShays get paid boatloads of money to analyze players and their potential at the NFL level and it's ludicrous. These rookies haven't even been given a shot in the NFL yet and for the most part, their team's draft grade is based on how these analysts think they will do in the league. "If DHB and the Raiders got an 'F' then no doubt he will be terrible in the NFL." That sucks and it's ridiculous because certain teams look for certain types of players on draft day. Organizations tend to draft guys that they think will fit in well with their system. The Oakland Raiders sought a speedy wide receiver and DHB happened to fit that mold. From the Raiders perspective, they drafted a player with the grade A.
Who knows? Maybe DHB will turn out to be a steal. After all, Tom Brady was taken in 6th round and I guarantee you no draft analyst gave New England an "A" for swooping him up.
