Oakland Raiders: Pros and Cons Raiders Second Round Pick Lamarr Houston

Lamarr Houston is undoubtably a physical freak, likely an Al Davis choice. He had arguably the most impressive combine amongst DTs this year, posting top 10 marks for his position all over the board; including the fastest 40 among all DTs.

But the Raiders selection of Lamarr Houston Raises some questions.

Houston is thought to be best suited to play the 3-technique, typically lining up on the outside shoulder of the strong-side guard. His job is to pentrate and disrupt running lanes.

The problem is, that isn't an area of need for the Raiders. They already have three players who can play that position well; Tommy Kelly, Desmond Bryant and Richard Seymour.

The Raiders need a 1-technique DT, who they typically line up on the weakside shoulder of the center. Their job is to force double teams and clog lanes while holding their ground. Being able to penetrate and collapse the pocket isn't a necesity but is definitely a plus.

The question is, can Lamarr Houston do this?

This is debateable. Some would even suggest that Houston is too athletic and his talent would be wasted at the 1-technique.

In college, he was very versatile and was able to play all four positions along the d-line and even FB on offense.

Some scouts believe he can play any position on the d-line at the NFL level as well and there are quite a few reasons why:

At 6'2'' 300 pounds he may seem a little small to be a run stuffer, but pair his impressive technique with his stalky 6'2'' frame, and he almost always wins the leverage battle.

He also has tremendous quickness and agility for a man his size, along with a lightning fast first step. This can also benifit him, compensating for his smaller size, especially collapsing the pocket on passing downs.

So what do you think Raider-Nation? Was this a good pick, or a second round mistake? I am still undecided.

Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders