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Bold Draft or Bad Draft?

So far both the Raiders picks could be considered a reach. While I support the Heyward-Bey selection, I wish we could have traded down to get him and got more picks.

While there is debate about Heyward-Bey, you could argue that he was a sleeper because his college QBs were so poor.

Then there is the curious case of the second round selection. Trading down and getting extra picks was a good move, but drafting Michael Mitchell with the 47th overall selection is a major question mark.

Mitchell is a 6'1" 220 pound safety who idols Jack Tatum. His highlight real is impressive:



Sonny Jacobs had an article about Mr. Mitchell in yesterday's bleacher report.

While I can't judge a pick before he has a chance and I'd like to give Mitchell that chance, I wonder why the Raiders didn't wait to pick him until their next selection in the 4th round, at least.

It is a bold draft by a bold Al Davis. I said before our scouting department needed to have a great draft, from the outside perspective they are reaching, but there is no doubt they are being bold. Let us hope they are correct. Tom Cable must have some level of say in the picks and you would wonder why he would go along with reaching so much for Mitchell. My only conclusion is that Tom Cable really is the bold coach and playcaller we saw last season.

I'll give each guy a chance to perform, but I just don't understand a reach for a guy that you can get in a later round. Maybe the Raiders had knowledge someone else was going to reach, but you haven't heard much about the guy so you wonder if he was on anyone radar above the 4th round.

If Mitchell is consistently as good as his highlight reel, it is tough to dislike him, even if the Raiders made the mistake of drafting the guy too early. Maybe his love of Jack Tatum and 4.4-4.5 speed and hard hitting ability blinded Davis.

Or lets hope Davis really found a diamond in the rough and that he had direct knowledge that someone was going to draft him before our next pick.

I don't know what to think about our draft. From the outside it is terrible, the open mind might say Davis has returned to his bold drafting strategies of the past.

Give the Raiders a draft grade in the pol to the right. We all know how valid these polls are, but they are fun anyway.

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