Oakland Raiders Draft News

April 25, 2005
Raiders draft capsules - Contra Costa Times
NU's Fabian Washington Goes In The First Round To Oakland Raiders - Nebraska St Paper

Coach Turner Talks Draft Day 2
Coach Turner Talks Draft Day 1

April 24, 2005
Drafting a QB not in team's plan - Contra Costa Times
Raiders pass on taking Rodgers - Contra Costa Times

On The Edge Draft Day 1 Review WATCH

April 23, 2005
Raiders have shown willingness to trade up in previous drafts - Mercury News
Raiders may wheel and deal more today  - Oakland Tribune
Raiders' draft guru isn't revealing much - Sacramento Bee
Raiders Take Washington - Raiders.com

April 20, 2005
Raiders trade Buchanon To Texans - Espn.com
Raiders trade Buchanon - Mercury News
Raiders Trade Jolley To Jets - Espn.com

April 18, 2005
Raiders draft update - Contra Costa Times
A DECADE AT NO. 38 - Mercury News
RAIDERS' DRAFT NEEDS - Mercury News
Raiders go it alone in scouting for draft - Press Democrat

April 17, 2005
First-round bystanders to look for linebacker, depth along line - Press Democrat

March 28, 2005
Nash gaining momentum - Yahoo.com

March 25, 2005
Draft outlook: Defensive end - Yahoo.com

Raiders Draft Picks

2005 NFL Mock Drafts

 *Click on the Mock Draft Name to get the full 2005 Mock Draft*
*Please note this is our projected picks for the 1st and 2nd round (#'s 26 & 38) *
If you have a mock draft you want added email me at djraiders@hotmail.com

Raiders Draft Profiles

Fabian Washington
Position: Cornerback
School: Nebraska
Status: Junior
Height: 5'10
Weight: 188
40-Yard Dash: 4.25 (Combine)

Fabian Washington has a good deal of experience, having been a starter at left cornerback for the Cornhuskers since freshman year in 2002. He has another year of eligibility left but decided to enter the draft after his junior season so he can support his mother and his brother financially. He finished his three-year career with with 145 tackles, 38 passes broken up and 11 interceptions. He has proven to be a very durable player during his time at Nebraska playing in 37 games with no major injuries. Washington has the speed to run with just about any receiver that lines up across from him but he lacks the size to cover some of the bigger receivers in the NFL. He changes direction well and has great recovery speed. He has soft hands and good ball skills. He also has the ability to run well after he makes an interception. He may need to bulk up some and improve his tackling technique to be more of a factor in run support. Fabian probably would've benefited from staying in college for his senior season. He is still developing as a cornerback but he has all the tools you look for in a cover corner and he has a chance to become a very good starter in the NFL. He is a solid first day pick at this point. (source: On The Clock)

Strengths: Experienced and started three years for the Huskers...Has very good speed...Good height...Is an excellent natural athlete...Productive in terms of interceptions, pass breakups and tackles...A playmaker with a nose for the ball...Confident and not afraid of anyone.

Weaknesses: Needs to work on his technique...Has a somewhat slight frame and could bulk up a little...May have trouble grasping a complicated defensive scheme...May be too confident at times and will take risks in an effort to make the big play.

Notes: Has the physical tools you look for and you can't teach speed...Not a finished product but with his experience, triangle numbers and productivity he is a very fine prospect. (source: NFL Draft Countdown)

 - Short Clip Fabian Washington INT vs Penn State WATCH
 

Stanford Routt
Position: Cornerback
School: Houston
Status: Senior
Height: 6'1
Weight: 193
40-Yard Dash: 4.39

BIO: Two-year starter who posted 60/2/8 as a senior after 28/4/8 the prior year. Track and field sprint champion in college.

POSITIVES: Nice-sized, athletic prospect who's displayed a steady line of improvement the past two seasons. Tough, comes up the field to defend the run and not afraid to mix it up. Physical, uses his frame to box out opponents and works to defend the pass. Displays a good move on the ball and to his credit relatively instinctive. Easily stays step for step downfield with opponents and quick locating the ball in the air.

NEGATIVES: Slow reacting to receivers moves off the line and loses a half step in transition. Not quick reading receivers eyes or getting his head back around to make a play on the ball. A bit inconsistent.

ANALYSIS: A cornerback with outstanding size/speed numbers, Routt is still a project in the works and a prospect who needs a lot of work. Could catch on as a dime back and may never develop into a starter yet could be a quality player in the NFL if he improves his instincts.

PROJECTION: Mid Fourth Round (source: SI.com)

Strengths: Has good size...Is an excellent natural athlete...More quick than fast despite his tack pedigree and experience...Still has some upside.

Weaknesses: Gets by on his athleticism more than anything...Speed is only average...Technique and instincts are lacking...Very raw and will need a lot of development.

Notes: Also a track star but doesn't play that fast...Has some physical tools to work with and could turn out to be a player with good coaching. (source: NFL Draft Countdown)

OVERVIEW
One of the top sprinters in Conference USA, Routt split time between track and field and football during his career with the Cougars. An impressive physical specimen, Routt concentrated on football in 2004 and had the best season of his career.

Routt was a unanimous all-district selection at Connally (Austin, Texas) High School, where he grabbed All-America honors in track. He ran the ninth-fastest time in the 200 meters nationally as a junior and was a state qualifier in both the 200-meters and 4x400-meter relay team.

He started four games as a freshman for Houston's football team in 2001, finishing with 26 tackles (18 solos), an interception and five pass deflections. Routt started twice at weakside cornerback as a sophomore, posting 22 tackles (19 solos) with a stop for a loss and two pass breakups, but began missing spring drills to compete for the Cougar track team.

Routt started the first nine games and the season finale at cornerback in 2003, posting 28 tackles (21 solos) with eight pass deflections and tied for the team lead with a career-high four interceptions. Concentrating more on football in 2004, he reaped the benefits from his hard work, earning All-Conference USA honors. He made 60 tackles (53 solos) with two stops for losses, two interceptions and eight pass deflections.

He started 27 of the 47 games he played in, producing 136 tackles (111 solos) with three stops for losses of 15 yards, seven interceptions for 96 yards in returns, 23 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, a blocked kick and three kickoff returns for 36 yards (12.0 avg.).

In track, he was named 2004 Conference USA Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after winning the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes and qualified to compete in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes for the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships. Routt returned to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2004 after winning the 200 meters at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships for the second straight year. He earned NCAA Outdoor All-America honors after finishing third in the 200 meters at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Meet.

ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a big frame with good muscle mass and development throughout … Built for speed and shows a very quick initial burst … He shows a feel to come back on the ball and can flip-and-run from press coverage … Flashes the foot quickness to plant and drive … Can break on the ball and compete for it and when he gets into stride, and covers plenty of ground … Has the leaping ability and body control to adjust to the ball … Good hands catcher who can reach and pluck with confidence … Better in zone coverage than playing the man, as he gets good depth in his pass drops and reacts with good angles.

Negatives: Needs to play under control, as he relies too much on his speed and will get reckless and over-run the play … Shows good toughness in man coverage, but needs to get more physical and aggressive in run force, as he does not seem eager to finish off the play working near the line of scrimmage … Lacks a good backpedal and does not stay in it long … He reaches back on his heels too much and has this skipping motion that causes him to look late breaking on the ball … Does not lack tools, but plays with too much cushion and does not read the quarterback quickly, as he may jump a threat or might just coast along watching … Struggles to shed a receiver's blocks to make the play and is very passive in run support (three stops behind the line of scrimmage in 47 games) … Does not use his hands effectively to reroute the receivers and is just learning how to use his speed to keep a close shadow on his man … Has a well-built frame, but needs to dedicate more hours in the weight room. (source: NFL.com)
 

Andrew Walter
Position: Quarterback
School: Arizona State
Status: Senior
Height: 6'6
Weight: 233
40-Yard Dash: 4.91

BIO: Second-team All-Conference selection as a senior after passing numbers of 57.3 percent/3,150/30/9. Broke into the starting unit as a sophomore completing 56.7 percent/3,877/28/15.

POSITIVES: Big, strong pocket passer who.s been productive throughout his college career. Patient, buys time for receivers, and has a good sense of where his targets are on the field. Possesses a quick release and immediately gets the ball out of his hands. Fires the pass between defenders, easily gets the ball downfield and zips the outs. Displays a sense of timing, nicely places his passes and does not have receivers waiting on the throw. Sees the field, senses the blitz and for the most part, finds the open wideouts. Accurate down the field laying passes in front of targets. Always working to make something positive happen. Strong enough to withstand the rush and get the ball off with defenders in his face.

NEGATIVES: Slow setting up in the pocket, releases the ball with a three-quarters motion, and has a low trajectory for a tall passer. Immobile and cannot escape the rush. Erratic, misreads defenses and throws the ball into coverage. Makes the errant toss off his back foot. Does not throw tight spirals or the prettiest passes. Usually high of the mark and has receivers extending vertically to grab the ball out of the air.

ANALYSIS: A big, strong quarterback with excellent physical skills, Walter is a prototypical drop-back passer for the next level. Must be more consistent with his reads and decision making if he's to ever be a starter at the next level.

PROJECTION: Early Third Round (source: Si.com)

OVERVIEW
Finished his career as one of the top quarterbacks in school history, setting almost every Arizona State career and single-season record for passing and total offense … A member of the Tacoma News Tribune's "Western 100" team and an All-America third-team selection by Mex Emfinger as a senior at Grand Junction (Colo.) High School in 1999. He completed 193 of 361 passes for 2,789 yards and 24 touchdowns that year and also hit on 131 of 261 passes for 2,116 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior … Lettered three times in football, twice in basketball and once in track … As a freshman, he played a varsity basketball game with a broken finger and scored 20 points (hit four free throws in the final two minutes to win it) … Shattered the Pac-10 Conference career touchdown record with 85, breaking the 22-year-old mark held by John Elway, who had 77 scoring passes at Stanford (1979-82) … Finished fifth on the Pac-10's career chart for passing yards (10,617 yards) and third for total offense (10,142 yards) … Topped Jake Plummer's school career passing records of 8,827 yards and 65 touchdowns, finishing his career as ASU's career leader in passing yards, completions, attempts, touchdowns, interception percentage and total offense … Played in 48 career games with 35 starts … Only player in school history to tally 3,000 passing yards in a season, turning in the top-three single-season efforts in school history in his last three years … Threw four or more touchdown passes in 10 career games and also had 14 300-yard games in his career, including eight with 400 yards or more … Turned in at least 200 yards passing in 26 of his 35 career starts … Just the sixth quarterback in the Pac-10 to throw for 10,000 career yards … Holds the top three marks on ASU's single-season lists for passing yards, attempts and completions and three of the top four efforts for touchdowns and total offense, including the school record in both categories … Ended up second among the NCAA's active career leaders for passing touchdowns and sixth in career passing yards … Turned in an 18-17 record as ASU's starting quarterback … Began the 2002 season sitting on the bench, but with starter Jeff Krohn proving to be ineffective, Walter started the final 10 contests … Set the school single-season record and became the first 3,000-yard passer in school history with 3,877 passing yards, breaking the previous mark of 2,878 established by Danny White in 1973. He turned in the third-best single-season passing performance in Pac-10 history and became the first player in Pac-10 annals with four 400-yard passing games in a season. Walter also shattered school records for passing attempts (483) and completions (274). During the season, he set the Pac-10 single-game passing record with 536 yards in ASU's victory over Oregon, breaking the mark of 534 yards held by fellow Sun Devil Paul Justin vs. Washington State in 1989 … In 2003, he had 3,044 passing yards, trailing only his previous year's tally of 3,877 on ASU's season-record list. He connected on 221 of 421 attempts (52.4 percent) with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions … Spent the 2004 offseason working on improving his mechanics and accuracy. The results were evident, as Walter broke the school record for touchdown passes in a season with 30, one more than the 29 Mike Pagel threw in 1981 … His 3,150 passing yards were second on the ASU season-record charts, behind only his 3,877 yards in 2002 … That marked his third consecutive 3,000-yard season … Also set the ASU season record for lowest interception percentage (.0211) with just nine interceptions in 426 attempts in 2004 … Closed out his career completing 777 of 1,416 passes (54.9 percent) for 10,617 yards, 85 touchdowns, 35 interceptions and 10,142 yards in total offense … Possesses one of the strongest arms in the country … Team leader who was voted a co-captain in each of his last three seasons at ASU … Earned his undergraduate degree prior to his senior year.


ANALYSIS
Has excellent size and arm strength for his position … Mature field general that the younger players really looked up to … Athletic, smart and has a good grasp of a pro-style offense … Shows quick setup and follow-through ability, with excellent field vision as he can look defenses off and is able to find his secondary receivers with ease … Classic dropback passer who will sit in the pocket to deliver and can handle pressure well … Throws a nice, tight spiral and has touch on his shorter throws … His arm strength is above average and he is strong enough to make all the throws, but loses accuracy with his deep tosses when throwing on the move … Has the ability to roll and throw also, but this is an area he is not very comfortable in … Might not be that mobile, but somehow has the ability to avoid the rush, doing a very good job of delivering arm throws when stepping into the pocket with defenders in his face … You see some overthrows, as this happens when he is rushed or pressured … Has adequate agility and foot speed to reach the throwing point, but carries the ball very low, which makes him susceptible to fumbling. He leaves it too exposed rolling out of the pocket … When he keeps the ball with a high release, Walter demonstrates a much more compact delivery … Has the ability to throw with touch and timing, doing a nice job of hitting his receivers in stride … Plays with good field awareness and has the lateral slide to escape pressure … Not afraid to run with the ball or throw it away, but is also quick looking off his primary target to spot his secondary receivers … Good student of the game who works hard in practice and spends the extra hours studying film … Tough and durable and until injuring his shoulder in the 2004 season finale vs. Arizona, had never had to miss a game due to injury … Able to throw 50-60 yards downfield with ease, but he has that low release and three-quarter sidearm delivery that affects his accuracy on long throws … When he is under control, he can pick apart a defense with his precision in the short area, especially on underneath routes … While he has an aggressive playing style, he does not often force it into traffic, but will take chances due to confidence in his athletic ability … Technically sound passer who still needs to refine his release and mechanics, but has the arm strength and size that coaches love to develop … Underwent surgery in December after he suffered a third-degree separation of his throwing shoulder when he was slammed to the turf midway through the fourth quarter of the 2004 season finale vs. Arizona. Doctors hope he will be ready to throw in April, but say he will definitely be recovered by the time training camp opens.  (source: NFL.com)

Kirk Morrison
Position: Inside Linebacker
School: San Diego St.
Status: Senior
Height: 6'1
Weight: 235
40-Yard Dash: 4.75

BIO: Four-year starter and MWC Defensive Player of the Year in .04 after posting 115 tackles, with nine additional tackles for loss and one interception. Similar totals as a junior when he was a first team All-Conference choice.

POSITIVES: Forceful run-defending linebacker explosive up the field. Diagnoses the play, displays good first step quickness and a tenacious linebacker who goes hard after the ballcarrier. Physical, lays it on the line and always throws a pad into the play. Fills the right gaps in run defense, uses his hands to stay off blocks and redirects well to the ballcarrier. Disciplined in pass coverage and gets depth moving in reverse. Stood out at the Senior Bowl in pass coverage or when placed on the outside.

NEGATIVES: Easily knocked off balance or slowed by blocks. Does not always take the best angles to the action or play under control.

ANALYSIS: A hard-working prospect and punishing linebacker, Morrison is a solid linebacker who proved himself as more than a two-down defender in the Senior Bowl. Lacks the great size, but his intensity and what seems to be the ability to be used at several linebacker positions has Morrison moving up draft boards.

PROJECTION: Late Third Round (source: Si.com)

Strengths: Very productive...Flows to the ball well and seems to be in on every play...Has a ton of experience...Very instintive and aggressive...Tough and always gives 100%...Team leader and captain.

Weaknesses: Lack of speed is the major concern...Has only average size...Will struggle when asked to drop into coverage...Can get caught up in traffic.

Notes: One of the most highly decorated linebackers in all of college football...Doesn't have ideal measurables but he just gets the job done...Will at the very least be an excellent backup and special teamer...The type of player you hate to underestimate. (source: NFL Draft Countdown)

Anttaj Hawthorne
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Wisconsin
Status: Senior
Height: 6'3
Weight: 321
40-Yard Dash: 5.29

BIO: All-Conference selection who started the past three seasons. Coming off a disappointing senior campaign in which he totaled 42/12/6. Posted career numbers of 75/20/4 as a junior.

POSITIVES: Explosive interior defender who attracts double teams in the middle of the field. Gets off the ball with a quick first step, keeps his pads low and effectively uses hand technique to get around blocks. Jolts blockers displaying power and pushes them off the ball. Drives up the field and quickly locates the action. Immediately changes direction and wraps up tackling.

NEGATIVES: Lacks top pursuit skills from the backside. Over-pursues the action in his attempt to get up the field. Improved his hand technique as a senior, yet still stands to protect himself better.

ANALYSIS: A nasty defender who creates a lot of havoc up the field when on his game, Hawthorne can be a dominant force that overpowers one-on-one blockers. Offers size and plays with leverage, which gives him possibilities in a variety of systems. Lack of speed and inability to pursue is a negative, but a late first-round pick who can produce in a conventional defensive scheme.

PROJECTION: Early Second Round (source: Si.com)

OVERVIEW
Regarded as one of the premier defensive linemen in the collegiate ranks, Hawthorne was called "the best defensive lineman I ever coached," by Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez. After being thrust into action immediately as a true freshman, Hawthorne showed steady progress throughout his college career. He started 41 consecutive games for the Badgers and was the recipient of the team's Jay Seiler Coaches Appreciation Award (given for improvement, attitude and willingness to help the program).

Hawthorne was considered the nation's premier defensive tackle coming out of Hamden (Conn.). He was a USA Today and ESPN All-American, registering 102 solo tackles with 17 sacks and seven forced fumbles as a senior. The three-time all-state choice finished his career with more than 250 tackles, 30 quarterback sacks, 38 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 14 recovered fumbles. He concluded his prep career by playing in the prestigious National All-Star Game in Dallas after the 2000 season.

He was an immediate contributor at Wisconsin, starting the final two games of the 2001 season at nose guard. Hawthorne finished that year with 16 tackles and four stops for losses. He took over left defensive tackle duties in 2002, starting the next 41 games. Hawthorne totaled 68 tackles (30 solo) with a pair of sacks, seven stops behind the line of scrimmage and 12 quarterback pressures as a sophomore.

He earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors (media) in 2003 after compiling a career-high 75 tackles (31 solo), including four sacks and five pressures. His 20 stops for loss ranked second in the conference and 18th in the nation that year. In 2004, Hawthorne recorded 42 tackles (23 solo) with six sacks, 11½ stops behind the line of scrimmage, a fumble recovery and one quarterback pressure, as he struggled a bit to stay off the ground vs. double-team coverage.

For his career, Hawthorne registered 201 tackles (nine solo) with 12 sacks for minus-51 yards, 42½ stops for losses of 115 yards, 20 quarterback pressures, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, an interception and four pass deflections in 49 games. His 42½ stops behind the line of scrimmage rank sixth on the school's career-record list, topped only by Dave Ahrens (43, 1977-80), Don Davey (49, 1987-90), Tom Burke (54, 1995-98), Mike Thompson (57, 1991-94) and Tarek Saleh (58, 1993-96).


ANALYSIS
Hawthorne has an imposing frame that could add more bulk, but while he has natural strength, he needs to improve his midsection tone. He has an explosive initial step to get advantage coming off the snap. Hawthorne is a good program player with quick hand reaction to shock and jolt and outstanding instincts working down the line. He anticipates the potential blockers' moves and reacts with strength and quickness to blocking schemes. He is the type of competitor who plays with good intensity and playing strength, but was a little inconsistent in that effort as a senior. Hawthorne also shows good instincts, awareness and ball-recognition ability.

When working in one-on-one situations, he will consistently penetrate and disrupt the plays. Hawthorne plays with very good leverage to anchor and hold ground and defeat blocks at the point of attack. He uses his hands effectively to stack and control. However, he can get isolated vs. the double team and can struggle to hold the point, as he does not always protect his body. When blockers get their hands into his chest, Hawthorne will get locked up and stall out, but he will flash ability to stack at times. He is much better to neutralize and disrupt when in isolated situations, as he has the strength to work across blocks to the ball.

Hawthorne can pull the center, recover and make plays up and down the line. He has good lateral agility and shows fluid moves when changing direction. He is very hard to block, but needs to show better hand usage to prevent guards from attacking his feet (poor knee lift to avoid). Hawthorne shows excellent field instincts, as he is quick to locate the ball and pursue the play in the short area. He has a very good feel for pressure and reacts with power-oriented moves rather than finesse against the blocker.

His outstanding leverage is evident when he stacks and sheds vs. the run. He has good lateral agility and uses his hand jolt effectively to push the blocker back, redirect and shoot the gaps. When he moves down the line, he is quick to pick up schemes and plays with urgency to prevent the ball carrier from turning the corner. He will often face multiple blockers and would be more effective shedding them if he can improve his hand usage.

Against the pass, he shows a sudden burst off the ball, but is more comfortable as a power rusher than the type who will finesse or rely upon speed to make the play. He can move down the line, but lacks the lateral quickness and speed to slip off blocks and get pressure consistently. Hawthorne spends too much time on the ground when attempting to pass rush and isn't consistent in using his hands to generate effective rip, swim or club moves, even though he has the strength. He relies more on his leverage and strength to get penetration and pressure.

Character-wise, this player is well liked by his team and seemingly everyone on campus. For all the press he has received, coach Barry Alvarez says that Hawthorne remains focused and acts like a "regular Joe." While some may look at his statistical drop-off in 2004 as cause for concern, the Badgers went to more of a containment posture with the defensive tackles than they did in previous seasons.

With the return of defensive end Erasmus James in 2004, Hawthorne's job was to basically handle the trash. He is very mature for a young player and shows a desire to improve. If a team uses him as an "under" tackle, much like Tampa Bay (Anthony McFarland) and the New York Jets (Dwayne Robertson) utilize, this athlete will be one that NFL offenses will have to always account for. (source: NFL.com)