Raiders need to rebuild receiving corps
— -- With the NFL draft only days away, Scouts, Inc., revisits each NFL team's needs.
Wide Receiver
New head coach Norv Turner will alter the team's offensive philosophy by focusing on stretching opponents with the vertical passing game far more often than Oakland has done in recent years. This will require speed, which the Raiders don't have a lot of at receiver right now. Jerry Rice and Tim Brown were adequate fits in the West Coast offense but they have lost a step with age and are no longer fast enough to consistently get open downfield. Rice is an adequate No. 2 and Brown is more of a No. 3 if not a No. 4 at this point. In fact Jerry Porter is the team's only deep threat at this point and he'll see a steady dose of double teams if Oakland doesn't find him some help. It also doesn't help that Porter will be an unrestricted free agent that may be too expensive to retain at the end of the year.
The Raiders may have more pressing needs but owner Al Davis isn't interested in going through a rebuilding process. He will look to find an impact skill player that can help Oakland win games this year in the first round as a result. The Raiders would love to move down a few spots, pick up an extra pick, and still get Texas' Roy Williams but they don't think he's worth the value at No. 2. If they get stuck with the second pick overall, they will probably draft Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is clearly the best receiver prospect and his height, playmaking skills and 4.47-speed would make him a threat in Turner's system. With Fitzgerald lined up opposite Rice, Porter can work out of the slot where he is at his best and Brown can provide quality depth.
Outside Linebacker
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