2011 Raiders Draft Picks: Scouting Reports, Projections, Analysis

The Oakland Raiders selected LSU offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale with their third round pick (92nd overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. Barksdale can play both sides of the line and would likely get his first shot at a starting spot on the right side. The folks at Silver & Black Pride took some time to break down what Barksdale can bring to the table and think he could end up being a sleeper in the draft.

Some of the scouting reports linked seemed to view Barksdale as a guy who deserved a lot more publicity than he otherwise received:

In the fight for the top offensive tackle in the 2011 NFL Draft, it is astonishing that Joseph Barksdale's name does not come up more often. Barksdale is a better athlete than he is given credit for at the left tackle position. In addition his technique is the best I have seen out of any tackle in this draft class.

The folks at Walter Football felt similarly and viewed him with as much upside as any of the tackles selected in the 2011 NFL Draft:

I don't understand why Barksdale isn't more well regarded as a 2011 NFL Draft prospect nationally, but I really don't care. I have watched a lot of tape on the most lauded 2010 NFL Draft tackle prospects, and Barksdale's games are easily the best. He has a very high upside and has the raw talent to be an elite left tackle in the NFL with the prototype technique to boot.

Walter Football did mention that he missed a block or two per game, so it's certainly something people will be keeping an eye on at the next level. If Barksdale is a guy who will take plays off from time to time, he might find himself struggling in adjusting to the NFL level of play. If he shows discipline and plays whistle-to-whistle he could turn into a serious steal in the third round.

Without a first round pick, the Oakland Raiders still managed to make out of the 2011 NFL Draft with a player many considered to be worth taking in the first thirty-two, when they made Stefen Wisniewski out of Penn State the 48th overall pick. He's not a sexy pick, and could be considered a bit of a reach if taken in the first round, solely due to the other players available at that point, but he is definitely the safe pick and almost unanimously accepted as a sure-fire starter and potential Pro Bowler.

In the other stream, we took a look at Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers and his battle to earn a starting job. Wisniewski's journey to the starting rotation is considerably easier, with a caveat or two. For instance, last season's starting center, Samson Satele, grew into the role and looked very good there at his best, and inconsistent at his worst. If he's to stick around in Oakland, one has to feel like he'll stay in the middle of the line.

That doesn't disqualify Wisniewski from a starting role, considering he's projected to excel at any position along the interior. At that point, he'd likely be guaranteed a starting role opposite Robert Gallery, that is ... if Gallery is even back. Much like Satele, he could be on his way out the door, which definitely doesn't bode well for the Raiders and their hopefully productive rushing attack in 2011. 

Either way, if there's any certainty, outside of some big issues that almost everybody failed to notice prior to the draft, it's that Wisniewski will find a starting role for day one along the interior of the line. Most likely, he'll be at center, as the team tries to keep Gallery locked down at a guard position. He's virtually made the jump to starter just with his talent alone, now he's got to perform.

Although the 2011 NFL Draft class is not allowed to negotiate contracts during the current lockout, that hasn’t stopped teams from issuing jersey numbers to the new players. The Oakland Raiders 2011 draft picks officially have their respective jersey numbers as reported at Silver and Black Pride:

OT Joe Barksdale – #72
CB Chimdi Chekwa – #35
RB Taiwan Jones – #36
TE Richard Gordon – #82
WR David Ausberry – #86
WR Denarius Moore – #17
CB DeMarcus Van Dyke – #38
C Stefen Wisniewski – #61

The NFL instituted a jersey numbering system in 1973 based on the position at which a player played. The breakdown of each range of numbers is as follows:

1-9 Quarterbacks and Kickers/Punters
10-19 Quarterbacks, Receivers, Tight Ends, and Kickers/Punters
20-49 Running Backs and Defensive Backs
50-59 Centers and Linebackers
60-79 Defensive Linemen and Offensive Linemen
80-89 Receivers and Tight Ends (or 40-49 if those ranges are taken)
90-99 Defensive Linemen and Linebackers

The Oakland Raiders first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft was second round pick Stefen Wisniewski, a center out of Penn State. It was a fitting pick given that Wisniewski’s uncle Steve Wisniewski is assistant offensive line coach for the Raiders. As the Raiders have developed as a team, offensive line play has been a key to that. The Raiders are expecting some turnover and will be looking to get Wisniewski into the lineup sooner rather than later.

Although the Raiders draft did not receive rave reviews, most everybody felt Wisniewski was a very solid pick for them. While it might have qualified as a “safe” pick, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good pick. James Brady’s belief that Wisniewski was the Raiders best pick has been supported by media pundits since then. Over at National Football Post, their draft guru Wes Bunting has projected Wisniewski into his all-rookie team, and also loves the pick in general:

He wasn’t the sexiest of picks. However, Wisniewski understands angles, possesses quick hands and plays with leverage in both the run and pass game. Looks like a good starting center from day one.
….

Some talent evaluators have been critical of the Raiders saying they “reached” on Wisniewski in the second. However, I don’t buy it. He’s as technically sound as any offensive lineman I have evaluated since 2002, he’s versatile and in my mind is a lock to mature into an 8-10 year starting lineman in the NFL. He’s smart, tough, works his hands well and understands angles. Seems like a great second-round value to me.

It is entirely possible Wisniewski busts out of the league, but the common belief seems to be that he’ll be in the NFL for the foreseeable future as a very solid offensive lineman. While Ryan Mallett or Da’Quan Bowers might have been the “sexier” pick at the time, it’s entirely possible Wisniewski is around the NFL long after those two.

Now that the 2011 NFL Draft is complete, the time has come to provide early predictions for these picks that have little basis in reality. Every year we see early predictions, but it’s even more difficult this year with free agency delayed by the NFL’s lockout of the players. Of course, this won’t stop Mel Kiper from developing his early impact player list.

Mel Kiper went through each of the three days of the draft and provided a list of players he thought could make an impact in their rookie season. For the Oakland Raiders, he included their two cornerbacks, Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa. Kiper’s inclusion of Van Dyke was in his notables section for day two. He simply pointed to Van Dyke as a great athlete who might need to step up if Nnamdi Asomugha leaves the Raiders in free agency.

Kiper focused in more on fourth round pick Chimdi Chekwa, who he thinks has a good shot at getting playing time if he can get past Van Dyke:

The impact: Chekwa is a solid, physical corner and — fittingly — flashed a surprising amount of athleticism at the combine, something the Raiders surely took notice of before they picked him in Round 4. With Nnamdi Asomugha gone next year, Chekwa could fight for immediate playing time.

The hurdle: He’ll have to beat out another rookie, Demarcus Van Dyke, who was taken in Round 3.

Our own James Brady discussed this very battle and thinks Chekwa was the better pick. We’ll see how that training camp battle plays out.