Charles Davis and I shared duties on "NFL Draft Review" on NFL Network, so I wanted to make sure I gave you my thoughts on the rest of the teams I didn't cover on the show.
The Chargers went 9-7 with no playoffs last season, and to be honest with you, I thought their biggest offseason acquisition was not in the draft, but their hire of Rich Bisaccia, who has been one of the top special teams coaches in the league for years and came over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then in the draft, the Chargers picked Cory Liuget from Illinois in the first round. I loved him. He's more of a defensive tackle, but he'll have to play the five-technique in that 3-4 scheme for San Diego. But when the Chargers get into their nickel and dime packages, he'll be extremely valuable as a guy who can push the pocket from the inside.
I love their second-round pick, Marcus Gilchrist, a cornerback/safety from Clemson. Eric Weddle is a potential free agent. A lot of people had Gilchrist pegged as a corner. I actually had him as a free safety. I think he's a valuable guy because he can drop down in the nickel or he can start at free safety; he might even be able to start at cornerback. For a second-round pick, I think he brings an awful lot to the table.
Jonas Mouton, the Chargers' second-round pick from Michigan -- a lot of people thought that was a reach, but he's a very athletic and underappreciated linebacker who can fit on either side of that linebacker corps.
-- Mayock on
Raiders RB
Taiwan Jones, WR
Denarius Moore and CBs Demarcus Van Dyke and
Chimdi Chekwa.
Oakland didn't have a first-round pick this year. That was lost in the trade to New England for Richard Seymour.
Two of the Raiders' first three picks were offensive linemen, and that's necessary. Robert Gallery, Langston Walker, Khalif Barnes and Mario Henderson are all potential free agents. So in the second round, Oakland took Penn State's Stefen Wisniewski, who can play center or guard. He plays with an attitude, and I like him a lot.
In the third round, the Raiders took Joseph Barksdale, an underachieving tackle from LSU who has got all the tools in the world. He just needs to have somebody sit on him, make him work hard and keep his weight down, and he can be a starting tackle.
The Raiders went heavy early on with offensive linemen, then they drafted a track team. In the third round, they got Demarcus Van Dyke, the corner from Miami who didn't even end up starting to end the season. He ended up losing his starting job, but he went in the third round because he's long and he flies. Chimdi Chekwa, the cornerback from Ohio State, again, he flies. Taiwan Jones, the tailback Oakland took in the fourth round from Eastern Washington, is one of the fastest guys in this draft. And the Raiders got Denarius Moore, the wideout from Tennessee.
With those four guys, Al Davis could have a 4x100 track team and train them for the Olympics. They're literally that fast.
