2010 NFL Mock Draft: Oakland Raiders, Rounds 1-5

Here we go again, Raider Nation. 

Another year of anticipating whether Al Davis will have a moment of clarity and hit a home run in the draft rather than squander top picks.

I say top picks because despite popular perception, the Raiders have done well in later rounds, but they have had some high-profile blunders.

Well, in this day and age of the NFL, many fans give up on players after half a season, when the reality of the NFL is that most NFL players still need two to three seasons of playing before they can be adequately assessed.

This, though, is my mock draft for the Raiders, in which I don't account for all the variables of what others teams might do and simply write out what I think would be a good draft haul for the Raiders.

The Raiders need help on defense and offense, but I think the priority should be the offense and protecting the quarterback. 

The offensive line has been shaky to say the least. I have believed for several years that the Raider defense gets a bad rap because the offense has been inordinately bad, which puts an unusually high amount of pressure on the defense.

Few defenses in NFL history have been able to compensate for a lousy offense. Even the 1985 Bears had HB Walter Payton, and the 2000 Ravens had HB Jamal Lewis and LT Jonathan Ogden.

In the headline, I stated rounds 1-5 because rounds 6-7 are usually (not always) a crapshoot. But anyone who has studied the winning teams in the NFL knows that the fourth and fifth rounds will make or break a team.

 

1. Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

Some in Raider Nation may be dreading the idea of another Terrapin with the top pick, especially one that is a workout warrior. Nonetheless, many in the league have been raving about Campbell as a potential beast at left tackle, which means that Al Davis would not be alone in coveting this young tac...

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