Why the Oakland Raiders Don't Need Darren McFadden

I often pass time during the off-season by looking at various mock drafts. Sometimes I agree and am even intrigued with what the mockers (for lack of a better word) are going for. However, on some occasions I am disheartened by what some believe and when multiple people display the same disheartening belief in their mocks, I get upset. Over the past few weeks, I was particularly disturbed to find that almost every mock draft I looked at had the Oakland Raiders selecting Running Back Darren McFadden of Arkansas. In my own mock I claimed it as a possibility considering that Al Davis is always on the lookout for a game-changing player, but I did not have the Raiders actually taking Run DMC. I do not think that the Raider’s with their second straight top five pick should draft the dynamic HB for a number of reasons.

Al Davis loves a great player, and in my view there is no greater player in this draft than Darren McFadden. However, when drafting, sometimes going for the best player available is not necessary and for the Oakland Raiders, this is one of those times. The Oakland Raiders had the 6^th Best Rushing Attack in all of the NFL, which is phenomenal considering they also went 4-12. I was amazed by the contrast of those two stats until I looked at the defensive statistics and saw that the Raiders hemorrhaged rushing yards on defense as well, giving up the second most rushing yards in the NFL. A solid defensive line is critical to stopping the run. Evidence will show that the Raiders did not have and still do not have stability along the defensive line. With the amount of defensive line talent available to the Raiders with the 4th overall pick, such as Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, Glenn Dorsey, and Sedrick Ellis, it would seem to make perfect sense for Oakland to try to fix their mediocre defensive line as opposed to stack their already good running back corps.

So, why not draft McFadden and then pursue D-Line later? For one the defensive line talent available later in the draft is not nearly as good as that which will be available with the 4^th overall. Second, the 6^th best rushing attack in the league is returning. Fargas and Rhodes are both definitely going to be back. Lamont Jordan may be cut, but he could be considered a drain on this rushing attack considering his 3.8 yards per carry. Dominic Rhodes could easily take over Lamont’s carries and improve this offense. Another running back may not be necessary.

Darren McFadden is a touchdown machine though and the Raiders were 26^th in points. Ok, this is a valid point. A young, dynamic running back that is hard to bring down and has a nose for the end zone would be useful to the Raiders. That is why they drafted former Louisville standout Michael Bush last year. This is the main reason I am frustrated with mock drafts that have Oakland taking McFadden. Has everyone forgotten that Michael Bush is waiting in the wings? Why draft McFadden for the reasons just mentioned when you can get all of that from Michael Bush. Bush runs with power (I rarely saw him brought down by his upper body), he has stupendous vision finding a running lane in sometimes atrocious blocking, and phenomenal footwork to get into the aforementioned slim running lane. The Raiders don’t have to look any further than their own roster to find a dynamic young running back. So in conclusion, because of their pressing need at D-line, the talented defensive lineman available, the already talented running back corps, and Michael Bush, the Oakland Raiders don’t need Darren McFadden.