It might be time to start whittling down the list of potential picks for the Raiders at No. 5, and the first couple of names to cut reportedly belong to the draft's top two quarterbacks.
The Raiders are not really considering drafting Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel or UCF's Blake Bortles with the fifth overall pick, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Unless the Raiders -- who traded for QB Matt Schaub this offseason -- plan on pulling a stunner by taking Fresno State's Derek Carr or Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater fifth overall, it appears a pretty safe bet that, if Oakland is not taking Manziel or Bortles with the pick, then the team isn't taking a quarterback fifth.
Who's still in play for the Raiders?
They appear pretty enamored with the top receivers in this draft, so Clemson's Sammy Watkins (if he falls that far) or even Texas A&M's Mike Evans (who should be available) could be targeted.
Buffalo OLB Khalil Mack is a possibility, along with a top offensive tackle such as Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan -- fifth might seem a bit too early for the latter, but there was a report that Oakland had Lewan No. 1 among the tackles on its board.
Unless the Raiders trade down or have a last-minute change of heart about one of the top quarterbacks, one of those six players appears destined to wear the Silver and Black.
Of course, GM Reggie McKenzie has left the door open to taking a quarterback with the fifth pick in his public statements -- as he well should in order to keep the interest in the pick as high as possible for potential trade partners.
As for now, though, the Raiders appear to be one of the teams that isn't overly impressed with the first tier of quarterback prospects.
