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April 25, 2008

The latest I've heard

Darren McFadden is (or should be) the pick for the Raiders.

Lane Kiffin repeatedly called McFadden "dynamic" and that's what he said his offense lacked last year, a dynamic player.

Of course no one knows for sure, but one scout said the team would be "dumb" to pass on McFadden, rated either the first or second player on almost every team's draft board (the other being Glenn Dorsey).

Of course, as the draft approaches, the rumors and guessing grows. Some Raiders staffers love Chris Long and believe he would start right away and help against the run, as Kiffin indicated.

But isn't the fourth pick a bit high for a run-stopping defensive end that might not have as much upside as Vernon Gholston?

And don't overlook this scenario: the Raiders trading down and drafting USC linebacker Keith Rivers, which would give the Raiders the best linebacking trio around. It's a position the Raiders could use some help at some point.

Instead of using an extra linebacker, throwing Rivers in the mix wouldn't be a bad idea to help against the run.

Who knows what will happen? But the more I hear, I'll pass it along.

--Jason Jones

Posted by Ahmed Ortiz at 2:33 PM | Comments |