It’s an age old debate in the NFL Draft, should a team select the best player, or the player that they need the most? The next two weeks will be filled with NFL war rooms debating that principal. The team forced with the biggest decision is Oakland.
The most talented player available in the draft is Calvin Johnson. The wide receiver out of Georgia Tech is a physical specimen that looked like a men amongst boys during his collegiate career. At the NFL Combine he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash in a borrowed pair of shoes. He has the game-breaking talent of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens without the character baggage.
JaMarcus Russell is the top quarterback in the draft, but also a project. He had a great game against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl that has catapulted him to the top of most draft boards, but his decision making in college was suspect. He only played in 35 games and had to earn the starting quarterback job before his senior season. In college, Russell had 42 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, a weak 2:1 ratio. He may be the best quarterback available in the draft, but he is a project that will take some time to develop. Behind a suspect Oakland offensive line he might not even get that chance.
Yet, when the draft rolls around and the Oakland Raiders are officially on the clock Johnson might not be the first player off the board. The Raiders already have the mercurial Moss on their roster and do not need another wide receiver without someone who can throw them the ball.
That is why Russell is at the top of many draft projections. The Raiders need a quarterback. The question will be: can they afford to pass on Johnson?
Last season, the Houston Texans passed on the consensus top two players in the draft in Reggie Bush and Vince Young to draft Mario Williams. Williams struggled early in the season, but showed signs of becoming a respectable NFL defensive end. One of the reasons Houston decided not to pick Young was because they already had a franchise quarterback in David Carr. The Texans did not pick Reggie Bush because they already had Domanick Davis at running back.
Now, Carr is a backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers and the Texans had to watch Young blossom into one of the most dynamic players in the NFL on the Tennessee Titans. Picking for need, while justified, cost the Texans a chance at one of the NFL’s best young play makers. Davis changed his name to Domanick Williams and was lost for the season with a knee injury. Bush totaled 1,307 total yards for the Saints and brought an electric presence to the Superdome.
With his cannon arm and imposing physical presence, Russell could develop into an elite quarterback, but Johnson is a sure thing. When given the chance, teams should pick the sure thing.
