2012 OAKLAND RAIDERS DRAFTEES
RND 3 TONY BERGSTROM OL 6-5 313 UTAH
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Bergstrom, a three-year starter at Utah, missed two years of playing time while on a religious mission and is a relatively old prospect. He is mature, reliable and didn't allowed many sacks in college. A very good mover in space, he gets to the second level well. Although he hasn't played guard, he has the potential to succeed at that position in the NFL. Wherever he plays, Bergstrom is a solid, low-risk prospect who could eventually develop into a starter. He should be able to settle into a backup role in the early going, and will likely go in one of the later rounds. Bergstrom is a player who played tackle but projects to slide inside to guard. He could immediately challenge for one of the starting positions, though it is more likely he will wait a year before assuming a starting role. His versatility enables him to potentially fill in at two positions: left guard (behind Cooper Carlisle) and right tackle (behind projected starter Joseph Barksdale). Another interesting element to this pick is that Bergstrom is 26 years old. His maturity and work ethic have been noted as being strengths. At the NFL level, most scouts agree that he struggles with flexibility in pass protection and can improve his short-area quickness in the running game. All that said, his football smarts and ability to play angles make Bergstrom a particularly intriguing player in the zone blocking system the Raiders will re-implement in 2012.
RND 4 MILES BURRIS LB 6-2 246 SAN DIEGO STATE
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Burris is a very instinctive, "fly-around" linebacker with the size and strength to play a number of roles in the NFL. Fast and physical, he will contribute on special teams and could even contest for a starting role. He is likely as good as he's going to get, but would be a solid value as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. Burris is is a 6'2", 246-pound guy known for his versatility and fiery demeanour on the field. At San Diego State, he initially played inside before switching to the outside linebacker spot for the 2011 season.
Unofficially, he recorded 76 tackles and had eight sacks in 2011. His strengths are his versatility, high motor and physical strength. However, he has to get better in coverage. There is some early speculation that Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver may use Burris the way head coach Dennis Allen used Denver Broncos' linebacker Von Miller last season. Early on, Burris may see time as a special teams player.
RND 5 JACK CRWFORD DE 6-5 274 PENN STATE
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Crawford started for three years at Penn State and has just five years of experience at his position. He was a late bloomer who moved to the United States from England to play basketball in high school before picking up football and, eventually, a scholarship from Penn State. He is a developmental prospect who can still fill out his incredible frame. He is a late-round prospect who could be taken earlier if a team can live with developing him. He is an inconsistent player at this point in his career. He barely showed up against Houston in the Ticket City Bowl and logged only one pass defensed -- a microcosm of his career at Penn State, where he generally just stood up and hoped to knock down balls with his frame. Has shown consistent improvement since initially playing football at the high school level in 2006. His senior year was his best with 42 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. At 6'5", 270 pounds, Crawford adds depth to an already imposing front line. Crawford's strengths are a high motor and extremely large hands, which help him with leverage. However, he is a developmental prospect at defensive end. He is more of a pass rusher than a run stopper, but he has plenty of upside with room to improve in both areas. With the Raiders in need of pass rush, this is a pick who might be able to contribute on passing downs as a rookie and who can develop into a solid backup and potentially into a starter one day at the pro level.
RND 5 JURON CRINER WR 6-3 224 ARIZONA
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Criner is a raw talent who was inconsistent throughout his career at Arizona. He was dominant in the Pac-12 at times and used his athleticism and leaping ability to simply make more plays than the man across from him. Criner effectively uses his great size when going for jump balls or when "boxing out" to catch balls in the short game. He shows his athleticism after the catch, displaying an ability to make things happen early in the play, and has the burst to finish them. He needs to learn how to show up every Sunday, but his talent alone legitimises him as a prospect. He should be one of the first five receivers taken off the board.
Criner He can ideally be a possession target, particularly in the red zone with his impressive leaping ability (38-inch vertical jump at combine). Available this deep into the draft because of his lack of 40-yard dash speed (4.68 seconds), Criner can be a steal the way Denarius Moore was last year for the Raiders. Criner's strengths are his natural pass-catching skills, ability to track the football in the air over both shoulders, consistent production and imposing size. At the NFL level, he will have to improve his separation skills and his technique as a blocker will require improvement. However, while his average athleticism will pigeonhole him as a possession receiver, but he is tough to catch if he has a step on the defender.
RND 6 CHRISTO BILUKIDI DE 6-5 290 GEORGIA STATE
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A little on the lighter end for a defensive tackle at 6'4" and 295 pounds, Bilukidi is described as a player with some initial quickness to his game that can be sudden laterally when side-stepping blockers and is a pretty athletic pass rusher. His head coach, Hall of Fame player Bill Curry, described Bilukidi as being a player who "set an example" for the entire team. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Bilukidi transferred from Eastern Arizona Junior College. In his senior year, he led Georgia State with five sacks and nine tackles for loss. A preseason All-Independent by Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
RND 7 NATHAN STUPAR LB 6-2 241 PENN STATE
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Stupar started sparingly throughout his career at Penn State but was active and productive when he did get playing time. He emerged as one of the leaders on a strong Nittany Lions defense in 2011. Like many Penn State linebackers, Stupar is a competitive, technically sound player who should be able to contribute early in some capacity for an NFL team. He will be a strong special teams candidate and could push to make a roster as a backup. Like many of the other picks of this class, Stupar is hard working, versatile and played multiple positions in college. Stupar measured 6'2", 241 pounds at the NFL combine, his 6.84 three-cone time was best among all LBs and his 60-yard shuttle time of 11.64 was fourth best. He was third on the Nittany Lions in tackles and was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention as a senior. Stupar will probably compete for time right away on special teams. Having played on the Nittany Lions special teams units early in his career, Stupar will have that experience with the Raiders. While he played outside his senior year, Stupar does have the ability to slide inside and play in tighter spaces. To potentially see playing time on defense, he will have to improve his tackling angles, avoid over-pursuit and improve getting off blocks. A decent value pick this late in the draft.