Potential Raider draft pick has a down day

[R8RMR]

The reports from the Alabama tackle Andre Smith's Pro Day have been underwhelming.

He only bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times.

His 40-yard dash times were 5.28 and 5.33 seconds according to NFL.com. He weighed in at 325 pounds and reports had him looking noticeably overweight.

I spoke to a scout prior to Smith's Pro Day and based on that discussion I was told to expect this kind of performance.

"He's not going to be strong, but on the field he's powerful," the scout said.

"And no matter what you do, he's not going to look pretty," the scout added, noting he wasn't going to have the prototype body of a Jake Long.

The scout said the Raiders, however, would be crazy to pass on Smith if were to fall to them in the draft because he's shown on the field that he's a dominant player that is rarely knocked off his feet.

"He'd struggle early but he could be their starting right tackle as a rookie," my anonymous scout said.

The Raiders still haven't fully addressed their needs at tackle. Perhaps the team will sign Orlando Pace or make a stronger play for Marvel Smith.

If that hasn't happened by late April, Smith could be there for the taking.


Raiders Blog and Q&A: Potential Raider draft pick has a down day

[R8RMR]

The Andre Smith question

If the Raiders really want to draft Alabama left tackle Andre Smith, it's all but certain he'll be there when they pick No. 7 overall in the April 25-26 draft.

The question is: Do they really want this guy?

Smith worked out at his school's Pro Day on Wednesday, and according to reports by nfl.com and profootballtalk.com, the gifted tackle did nothing to help himself when he really needed to.

Smith, you'll remember, is the guy who showed up at the NFL Combine out of shape and unwilling to work out, and then he bailed from the event without telling anyone.

Now, reports keep rolling in about how bad Smith's workout was, as he ran slow -- his 5.21 time would have not have been among the top-10 40's at the Combine -- and looked out of shape.

If there's anything Raiders coach Tom Cable hates, it's headache players. This draft class is loaded with top-deck left tackles, including the likes of Baylor's Jason Smith, Virginia's Eugene Monroe and maybe even Mississippi's Michael Oher. There's no reason to take a big risk with a top-10 pick, not when the Raiders have been more hit than miss as it is when picking in the single digits.

Here's where it gets really interesting, though.

Most mock drafts have Jason Smith and Monroe gone before No. 7, what with the No. 2 Rams, No. 3 Chiefs, No. 4 Seahawks and No. 6 Bengals all indicating interest.

Oher is good, but not many think he's top-10 good. Does that, along with Andre Smith's issues, cause the Raiders to take a wide receiver instead, especially with Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree as likely to be there for the taking as Missouri's Jeremy Maclin?

Either way, there seem to be so many better, and equally talented options, with less risk than Andre Smith right now. The only thing certain is they must address the left tackle position, whether in the thinning free agency market now or the draft next month.

The longer they go without signing a left tackle, the surer they are to draft one.


SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog  : The Andre Smith question

[draft jedi]

If he drops a couple of rounds we pick him.

[R8RMR]

That would be nice but I don't think that he will drop that far. They might take the chance on him in the 1st or 2nd because of what he is capable of on the field.

[draft jedi]

I think he drop because of the money, espeshally whilst the draft is deep in lineman.  team are reluctant to pay $40 mill on a LT that has stunck on the pro days. But will risk a few mill. if he is pick 2nd or 3rd round.

[R8RMR]

True enough! Looks even more likely that we look for a stud WR and some assistance on D.
DE, LB and S are areas that remain as requiring attention.