Pro Football Draft Network | 2012 Pro Football Draft Analysis

2nd Round (#48) C/G Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State

3rd Round (#81) CB DeMarcus Van Dyke, Miami

3rd Round (#92) OT/G Joseph Barksdale, LSU

4th Round (#113) CB Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State

4th Round (#125) RB Taiwan Jones, Eastern Washington

5^th Round (#148) WR Denarius Moore, Tennessee

6^th Round (#181) TE Richard Gordon, Miami

6^th Round (#199) DT Jerrell Powe, Mississippi

7^th Round (#241) WR David Ausberry, USC

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Stefen Wisniewski:  Samson Satele is not the answer at center for the Raiders.  Wisniewski was drafted to be Oakland’s center.  The former Penn State guard/center is tough and physical.  He will bring an attacking attitude to the Raider’s offensive line.  Wisniewski is not a powerhouse run blocker, but he should develop into a solid starting center.

DeMarcus Van Dyke: Oakland will lose Nnamdi Asomugha to free agency and the rest of the cornerbacks on the team are mediocre.  Van Dyke was the fastest player at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.  The problem is that Van Dyke was an average cornerback at Miami.  He also is very undersized (6’ and 175 lbs) and lacks strength.  The NFL is a physical game and Van Dyke will be out-muscled for the ball.  He is not a secure tackler and skill-position players will break his tackles too frequently.  Van Dyke has the speed, fluid hips and athletic ability to play cornerback in the NFL.  We just wish that he had a bigger frame and was about 190-pounds.  It will be interesting to see how much of a liability his size and strength will be.  This was a need pick and a bit of a reach.

Joseph Barksdale: The Raiders add a young offensive tackle to compete for the right tackle position.  Barksdale is a better pass protector than a run blocker.  He is not a nasty right tackle, but instead would be a finesse player.  Barksdale was a decent selection.  Oakland has to protect their quarterback better and Barksdale has the potential to be an effective pass protector.

Chimdi Chekwa: The former Buckeye can really run and improved every season at Ohio State.  Chekwa represented value in the 4^th round.  He lacks strength on his very lean 6-foot frame.  The Raiders add another really fast, but underpowered cornerback to cushion the anticipated Asomugha departure.

Taiwan Jones: The small-school back has blazing speed, but is injury-prone.  In addition, Jones is primarily an outside runner.  He does not look like he has the strength in the lower body to run between the tackles.  Oakland ran the ball very well in 2010 with Darren McFadden breaking out.  The team will rely on McFadden and probably, Michael Bush, again in 2011.  There were better options than Taiwan Jones in the 4^th round.  Dion Lewis is short, but he can run inside and is exceptionally quick.  Marcus Cannon could have helped the Raiders on the offensive line at guard. 

2011 NFL Draft Grade: C-    

Bottom Line: The Raiders could not stop the run last year and this draft will not help the situation.  Van Dyke and Chekwa will not replace Nnamdi Asomugha at cornerback.  The 2011 NFL Draft helped the Raiders’ offensive line a little bit, but there was insufficient help in other areas.  This draft reminds us of similarly disappointing Al Davis drafts over the past 10 years.