I know it's still early but the NFL draft is less than a month away plus we hold the #1 pick!!! I think we should all put in our projected top 11 picks. I say 11 to include our neighbor 49er fans from across the bay. Here is what I think will happen and "not" what I hope will happen. Try to put your personal bias aside.

1. Raiders select - LT Joe Thomas

I've stated on this forum before why I believe this will be the pick. Here is a shorter version of why... Al Davis history suggests that they will not take a QB in round 1 but rather sign a vet (possibly Carr) to compete with Walters. We still have Moss, Porter, and Curry so that tells me we will not draft Calvin. We also have Lamont, Rhodes, and Fargas so that tells me we will not take A. Peterson. I also don't believe we trade down. That leaves Joe Thomas which is also a huge need cause our O-line was worst in football last year.

2. Detroit trades pick, selection - QB JaMarcus Russell

I know that there will be at least two trades in the top 10. I don't know which team that the Lions will trade with, but they will make a trade. I believe that they will take the best offer that they get and that will be from the team that is making the largest jump up. The Lions I believe will trade out of the top 10 (possibly with the Jags) and get a king's ransom for that pick. Once the Raiders shock a lot of people and select Thomas than that puts JaMarcus Russell at the Lions spot and you will see the phones ringing like crazy from all the teams that will want to jump up and grap the Big QB. Again, The Lions have a lot of holes and will take the best offer and not mind falling down to the mid to late 1st round.

3. Browns select - QB Brady Quinn

Charlie Fry in not the answer and the Browns have spent a lot of picks building that offense with players like Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards. They need a QB to get those guys the ball. They signed Jamal Lewis so they will not select A. Peterson. Plus, Brady Quinn actually is petitioning for the Browns to draft him. He wants the Browns, the Browns want him.

4. Bucs select - WR Calvin Johnson

Easiest pick in the draft. Calvin is by some the best overall player in the draft. Grabbing him at the 4th spot is almost like robbery in my mind. Gruden will not hesitate. Calvin is the perfect WR for Gruden's west coast offense. Bucs could be dangerous next year if QB Chris Sims gets it together.

5. Arizona select - LT Levi Brown

Evey draft has a couple of reaches in the top 10 and this will be one of them. This is probably 2 to 3 spots to early for Levi but Arizona lost LT Lenard Davis in the offseason and can't take the chance of trading down and missing out on grabbing Levi. They could go with a defensive player but there need for a LT is to big and they will select the 2nd best LT on the board. They will pray that Joe Thomas slips to them but that will not happen.

6. Redskins trade with Bears for Lance Briggs, Bears select - DE Gaines Adams

Briggs wants out and he is worth the 6th overall pick. Briggs wants big money and the Redskins love spending money. They have been talking with eachother about this trade and I think it goes down a few days before the draft. The Bears must make up for the loss of Briggs and continue to focus on there defense. They will draft the best Defensive player on the board and select Adams who can play both DE and LB. Reminds a lot of people of Adalius Thomas.

7. Minnesota selects - WR Ted Ginn Jr.

This is a tuff one. They could take a safety but I think that because both big name QB's will be off the board, Minnesota will try and give there youg QB Jackson weapons to help him develop. WR is a big hole for Minnesota and this will be the second reach in the draft because I think it's a little to early for Ginn. Minnesota drafted a speedy WR in Troy Williamson a couple of years ago as a result of the big Moss trade. Drafting Ginn Jr. will give them the fastest WR core in football. This team likes to run run run with Chester Taylor and then go deep on play action. Ginn Jr fits that strategy while filling in a need at that position.

8. Atlanta selects - Safety LaRon Landry

Atlanta moved up to try and improve the chances of drafting this guy. Once Minnesota takes a WR, Atlanta will fall off there seats in joy. 2nd easiest pick in the draft for Atlanta if he is there.

9. Miami selects - CB Leon Hall

Hardest spot to predict who the Dolphins will select. They have issues at QB and O-Line but with Joe Thomas, Levi Brown, Brady Quinn, and J. Russel already off the board, the Dolphins will look at defense. There will be a lot of talented players on defense to choose from plus they could trade down. There has been talk of a Trent Green trade but I don't believe the dolphins give up a 1st round pick for a guy who has been in the league as long as Green has. I could see the Dolphins getting Green for a second round pick. In the end they draft the top CB in the draft to pair up with Will Allen. The Dolphins have had "int" issues ever since they split up and eventually got rid of the most dominate CB duo that I had ever seen in Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain. CB Leon Hall makes sense at this spot.

10. Texans select - RB Adrian Peterson

I know many of you are surprised that I have Peterson falling this far but if the Browns don't take him, than there are just no teams with RB needs ahead of the Texans. The question is do you really think the Texans would pass up on Peterson if he is there at there pick. Sounds crazy to think they would do somthing so stupid and not take Peterson but they did sign A. Green and HEY, we are talking about the Texans!! I think they select Peterson but I wouldn't be surprised if they traded down or took an O-Lineman. It's the Texans for god sake.

11. 49ers select - WR Dwayne Jarrett

They have the big time RB, young improving QB, and explosive TE. Now what they need is a WR that Alex Smith can count on. Jarrett doesn't have the speed that most teams desire but the 49ers system isn't based on speed and Jarrett could work well in this offense. The question you have to ask. Is Jarrett the next Mike Williams or J.J. Stokes? Or is he going to be great in the league?

Pretty impressive I like the first pick... I will come back with my list!!!

Good stuff. I am going to cheat and wait until a couple days before the draft to put mine down. My only critique is that Jarrett doesn't get picked in the first round and not before 5-6 other receivers are gone.

I also have to say that when I first started reading it, here is what I saw:

1. Raiders select - LT Joe Thomas (Robert Gallery)

2. Lions select - QB JaMarcus Russell (Joey Harrington)

3. Browns select - QB Brady Quinn (Tim Couch)

Not comparing any of them, it just jumped into my mind.

You say we will not trade down but ....I think its highly possible we could get him(LT Joe Thomas)as low as pick #5 rather than paying his a$$ twice as much for being the #1 pick,but you're right we will probably get Johnson or Russell #1,but if we trade down LT Joe Thomas is the player Al Davis really wants,but wrong about or running game Rhodes or Jordan cant make it happen remember Rhodes was a one year wonder behind a great offensive line and I'm afraid he will find out in pre-season we don't have what the Colts had and Jordan is just plain to big to be cutting outside every time he gets the ball, we need teach his a$$ how to block,and give the ball to Rhodes for outside runs and make Jordan run like Wheatly up the middle,and if he cant do that..sit his a$$..RB is a need trust me.

The first pick is Russian Roulette and highly likely to cost us,and highly likely to be of little impact, so as I said,we will most likely have the #1 pick signed before the draft or it will be a definite trade down.

I'm also in the camp that believes that we will trade out of the first postion. We need to get more parts on offense. So picking up extra picks in the draft is vital. Russell and Quinn are not sure things.

Well said, I couldn't have said it any better. Rep points for you!

__________________

RAIDER haters: You have one advantage over me.....You can kiss my ass and I can't!!

Gruden wants Calvin,and I hear they have offered their top 4 picks in the draft,and we still stay in the top #4 with the Bucks 1st rounder,sorry no link I saw this story on Yahoo...

I say HELL YES! we are more likely to pick up a gem with those other 4 picks than staying at #1,and save money,and if anyone knows who the sleepers are it's a former College coach.

Peterson or OL,with outside shot at Quinn at #4.

I keep reading these f'ed up mock drafts,and all of them say the Raiders are drafting Russell,but I news for these Hypey a$$ mothers at ESPISSN,and the Raider front office,first of all he's not that good...he never did anything spectacular in college,second he fumbles the ball like he's flicking boogers,third he's not worth the money his stupid agent will seek for the first pick....and last...HE AIN'T GOING TO HELP US WIN!

Whats even worse is we find out Calvin is a doper,WTF! lets just draft Peterson and get a running game going,it's like I'm watching a f'king train wreck in slow motion...TRADE DOWN AL!

I'm really being honest here,just go back and look at his Florida & Auburn games last season and you wiill f'king see that LSU was the best team in the league,they just had a sorry QB!!!!!!!! who could not lead them to the title!

DONT DRAFT THAT A$$-HOLE!

Hey guys! Have been out of the game for a while. Just moved out of good old California to my new life in San Antonio, Texas. Anyway, I want to respond to the rumors of trading down with the Bucs. I say..... HELL YEA! Why not? We would still sit at #4 and have from what I understand to be the Bucs 1st 4picks. We would have the 4th pick overall as well as three 2nd round picks and two 3rd round picks. Plus, you never know, a guy like J. Russell could very well still be there at the 4th spot. The Bucs would take C. Johnson #1, the lions would take Quinn over Jamarcus if they selected a QB or trade down, and the Browns I believe would also take Quinn over Jamarcus or possibly select Peterson. Everyone says we should not hesitate to select Jamarcus #1 but how smart would the Raiders look if they traded down, stock piled picks, and still ended up with Russel.

That is a great possibility that Russell would still be available. But I don't think Davis would even give up the #1 pick nor risk that possibility. Davis might very well surprise everybody by picking Calvin Johnson as the #1 pick. He is after all a great athlete whose NFL combine results are of the charts for his size & I know Davis wants him badly, but the chance of that happening is small unless we pick up a veteran QB before the draft. From what I know the Raiders are trying to close a deal on getting a veteran QB.

__________________

RAIDER haters: You have one advantage over me.....You can kiss my ass and I can't!!

Just read a great article on this forum about the Raiders trading the #1 pick. It got me thinking! Remember when the Chargers had the 1st pick overall? It was clear that they liked Rivers over Manning. But instead of trading down to stock pile picks and take the chance on grabbing Rivers later, they took Manning #1 anyway because they knew how many teams wanted him. Then when New York picked, the Chargers told them that if they selected Rivers, they would trade Manning to them for Rivers and a heap load of picks. The Raiders right now sit in the same position. Most teams right now that are talking about moving up are doing so in order to try and pick Calvin Johnson. Everyone thinks Calvin is hands down the top player in the draft, especially the Bucs who have already offered the Raiders there top 4 picks. I now believe the Raiders will select WR Calvin Johnson with the 1st pick and then wait to see what kind of offers they get from teams like the Bucs who really want him. If they don't get a good enough offer, then they still have Calvin anyways who we all know Al loves. For example, by taking Johnson #1 it would handicap the Lions cause the Lions are trying to trade down in order to take the guy that they love, Gains Adams. The problem is that all the teams that want to trade with the Lions and move up only want to move up for Calvin. Arizona at #5 would not pass up on Adams, especially if Joe Thomas is gone so the Lions could only move down as far as #4. The Bucs who sit at #4 would have no more interest in trading with the Lions because of the Raiders selecting Calvin. To make this long story short, that would force the Lions to select Gains Adams with the 2nd pick. Then the Browns at #3 would choose from Adrian Peterson who seems to be there guy and Brady Quinn who WANTS more than anything to be a Brown. Finally the Bucs at #4 select Jamarcus Russel and then trade with the Raiders for Calvin Johnson and there 1st 4 picks. This scenerio is the only way for the Raiders to "ensure" that they get either Russel or Calvin while possibly also grabbing extra early draft picks. Again, if the Raiders take Calvin and don't see the value that they want for him, then the worst that happens is that we still keep who some believe to be the best player in the draft in Johnson. If the Raiders jump the gun and make the trade with Bucs now, then even though we would get a lot of draft picks, we would be taking a chance on missing out on both The big WR and big QB. That would be a bigger gamble in my opinion and that is why I now believe we will take Johnson #1 on saturday. I hope that all made sense.

I'm on record as saying Russell is not that good,a low completion rate even it was on a team that dominated on defense and running the ball,WHEN RUSSELL HAD TO THROW IT TURNED INTO A F'KING LOSS!!!

He will not be a winner,he wont play this year,and when Kiffin (Who wants Quinn) finds out just how right he was in a couple of years he will probably quit and go coach the Donkos who will than kick our a** for the next 20 years.

You got to remember this goofy Russell sh't just started after the Sugar Bowl when Russell played well against a Notre Dame defense that sucked,and really other qbs put up better numbers vs. N. D.,but the media doesn't mention that.

My argument did not start this year ,all LSU fans have been debating who was better after our second string QB dismantled Miami from the start of the 2006 season...TRUST ME JR'S STUPID ERRORS ON THE FIELD ARE NOT WHAT THE RAIDERS NEED!

May I just add..LSU fans are glad he's gone,but as a Raider fan I'm walking a f'king tight rope hopeing this f'ker does not show up in Raider Land.

Everybody likes a good con game,this is what I think..

1.The Lions want Calvin,because they may want to trade down,and they will not draft a qb.

2.The Browns may draft defense or RB,but most likely will take the OL.

3. The Bucs are liars,they want Quinn he's a proto-type Rich Gannon,throw short West Coast Offense under Gruden this kid will probably be real good,but anybody else he will turn into a Mier.

But the Raiders are really in a f'ked up position with nobody to trade with they will take Russell who will suck,not a theory from me..he will suck!better hope we get a running game because this kid will have a hard time completing one to the crowd,he really sucks when he throws....another 20 years of losing.


I personally dont like anybody in the Hype zone even the OL gives me the Willys because of Gallery,and Peterson is the only guy that I think will make an impact from game 1...My theory is when we draft ask ourselves...CAN THEY PLAY NOW????!,you do not draft a 2nd sting qb with the #1 pick..WTF!!!!

I'm right there with you on Russell...!

Yeah but Al Davis is in love with him(He said he reminded him of Elway..WTF!!) ,and you know what that means..WE JUST PICKED UP A 2ND STRING QB!

Kiffin on the other hand wants Quinn,if thats the case why didnt we get Carr because Quinn is no more than a hyped up proto-type of Carr.

Al Davis is going to Draft Russell and we all know it! hopefully it will be his last act in destroying this team,I hear SF is getting a new stadium,but the Raiders just float along living off the past,we should have had a new stadium 10 years ago,Al Davis does not know jack sh't! He's being con'ed into drafting Russell by the media who all hope the Raiders kill themselves again...

I'm right about Russell,not really sure about Quinn,and do not know jack Sh't about anybody else..at least I'm honest.

I've seen a few mock drafts,and if the Raiders do not take Russell he seems to fall all the way down to 5-6,I find that telling!!!!!