Raiders are on the clock, and they'll take Jamarcus Russell

Filed in archive NFL Draft on April 27, 2007

Courtesy JaMarcusRussell.org

Jamarcus Russell will be the first player selected in the 2007 NFL draft. You can drop the speculation, the hyperbole, the wild rumors and the crazy talk from Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.

The Raiders may take the full 15 minutes allotted to them on draft day, just to increase the suspense, but when the clock runs down to zero, new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will step to the podium and announce, with very little shock, that the Oakland Raiders select LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell.

In spite of all of the talk that the Raiders can control the entire draft by taking Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Oakland will do the right thing, which is to take Russell, a prototypical passer, who has the size strength and mobility to be a star in the NFL.

Russell has donovan mcnabb written all over him, and any team in need of a quarterback, with the opportunity to take a McNabb-type quarterback, would be nuts to pass on this once-in-a-decade chance.

The Raiders have Randy Moss, Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry at wide receiver. These are big, fast pass-catchers, who can stretch a defense, as long as they have someone to get the ball to them.

Last season, Oakland quarterbacks couldn't throw the football through a hoola hoop from five paces, much less hit Moss as he raced past cornerbacks 40 yards down the sidelines.

Russell, who could toss a pigskin into a puddle on the moon, should have little trouble finding these outstanding receivers, even as a rookie.

So, why would Davis and the Raiders play any games with their first pick?

This is as easy as giving Michael Jordan the last shot in an NBA playoff game. Just announce Jamarcus Russell as the selection, and let everyone else speculate on what to do next.