The Oakland Raiders had their best season since appearing in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, and a good part of that success was a strong draft class that was able to make an impact right away. It was a draft that went against the grain of what the Raiders had been doing on draft day, but in 2011 they went back to their old ways.
The Raiders were the only team not to have a first round selection because of the trade to acquire Richard Seymour from New England. With their first pick coming in Round 2, the Raiders selected Stefan Wisniewski, a center out of Penn State. Wisniewski can play center or guard, and he will be looked upon to anchor the line for quarterback Jason Campbell and running back Darren McFadden.
The rest of the draft was typical Raiders-how much speed can we get. DeMarcus Van Dyke and Taiwan Jones were the fastest players at their positions in the draft, but Van Dyke was a reach for the third round and Jones is an undersized third down back. They seemed to be selected for their speed only, and it will be seen if they can contribute more than what Darrius Heyward-Bey has so far for the Silver and Black.
A late round sleeper pick looks to be David Ausberry, a wide receiver out of USC. Ausberry is a big target, and he can find a place on the Raiders as he can catch the ball, which many Raiders speed receivers have had a bit of trouble doing lately.
Draft Grade: C-
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