Being accountable for predraft predictions

On April 14th, 2010 I wrote out my ten predictions for the Oakland Raiders draft weekend. Like any good would be seer, I have to be accountable for my predictions. I don’t follow college ball enough to do any mocks that mean anything, but I had a few things I was sure enough about to go on the record with.

1. Too many signs are pointing to Bruce Campbell. The talk of him to the Raiders has taken on a life of its own since his freakish combine performance. Al won’t do what everyone is expecting him to do. Campbell will NOT be the pick.

Bruce Campbell was not THE pick. He was a pick three rounds after most prognosticators had him going to Oakland. Instead of going with the workout freak, they went with a solid football player in Rolando McClain. By the fourth round, it becomes anybody’s ballgame.

2. After three years of going with flashy picks in the first round and having them fail to live up to expectations, the Raiders will go with a nuts and bolts pick in the first round.

They went nuts and bolts in the first three rounds. The first two picks make immediate improvements to the defensive front seven. In round three and their first pick in round four they added offensive linemen. There was nothing flashy until they drafted Jacoby Ford in the fourth round.

3. 2006 the Raiders need a defensive tackle, they pass on Haloti Nagta. 2008 the Raiders need a defensive tackle they pass on Glenn Dorsey. 2009 the Raiders need a defensive tackle they pass on BJ Raji. 2010 the Raiders need a defensive tackle, If one of the big two falls Davis will not pass on him.

Neither of the big two defensive tackles fell to the Raiders at eight. However, Cable made it clear in his day one post draft interview that they had been coveted by the Silver and Black. They used their second round pick on a defensive end/tackle, so they grabbed defensive line help early in the draft.

4. Tim Tebow will not be a Raider.

Tebow is a member of the Denver Broncos.

5. Mel Kiper, jr has the Raiders taking Jimmy Claussen in the first. Not happening. No way. Since 1980 the Raiders have only selected three quarterbacks in the first round. Marc Wilson 1980, Todd Marnoivich 1993, and JaMarcus Russell 2007. Look for the the Raiders to take a quarterback in the first in 2022.

The Raiders did not draft a quarterback at all. The Raiders had two cracks and Claussen and didn’t bite. Instead, they traded a 2012 fourth round pick for Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins.

6. The 33rd pick will change hands.

That was completely wrong.

7. The Raiders will pull off a trade nobody saw coming.

The Raiders worked the draft trading down twice in the second round to pick up a fifth and a sixth round pick. They packaged the fifth round pick with linebacker Kirk Morrison to acquire a second fourth round pick. In the unexpected move, the Raiders traded a fourth round pick from 2012 to get Jason Campbell.

8. Raider fan reaction is going to be split once the name of the number eight pick is announced. No matter who it is, a third of the fans will have someone else rated higher on their daft board, or he won’t play a position of need.

The Raider fans are nearly universal in their support of the selection of Rolando McClain, especially in the context of adding Lamarr Houston and making a concerted effort to improve the defense.

9. The over/under for the use of the word “greatness” at the press conference discussing the first pick is set at 20. Bet the over.

The under wins. Coach Cable managed to avoid using that particular word altogether.

10, The Raiders won’t add a receiver in any round.

The Raiders added Jacoby Ford in the fourth round.

The prediction I didn’t make. I have to take points off for this one. I was strongly considering adding that Kirk Morrison would not be a Raider by the end of the draft. However, I did not put it on there and it happens, so that works against me.