2008 Oakland Raiders Team Needs

Defensive Tackle: Last season, the run defense of the Raiders finished second to last in the entire NFL.  Terdell Sands appears to be a bust, and Warren Sapp has retired.  The Raiders did sign William Joseph, but look for them to bring in some young space eaters to improve their run defense.

Safety: Michael Huff so far hasn’t lived up to expectations.  Consequently, Oakland signed Gibril Wilson to add some experience to their secondary.  Look for the Raiders to draft a safety to add depth to the position.

Offensive Tackle: The major weakness for Oakland the last several years has been their offensive line.  It would not be a shock if the Raiders utilized multiple picks to improve their o-line.

Wide Receiver:  Jerry Porter left town, but Drew Carter and Javon Walker have joined the Raiders.  If Walker can stay healthy, Oakland has a legitimate No.1 receiver.  Carter is a nice deep threat, but he is probably more of a No. 3 receiver.  Therefore, they might try to draft a wideout that can start opposite Walker.

Draft Candidates: DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU, DT Sedrick Ellis, USC, RB Darren McFadden, S Marcus Griffin, Texas, S Thomas DeCoud, California, OT Oniel Cousins, UTEP, WR Lavelle Hawkins, California, WR Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech

WR Drew Carter, Oakland Raiders

How Drew Carter will help the Oakland Raiders: Carter should be able to get open frequently with opposing defenses paying more attention to Javon Walker.  Carter is a perfect match for the Raiders as he has track star speed, which is what owner Al Davis loves to have on his team.

The numbers that Carter has posted in his three-year career have improved every season.  Last season, he had 517 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Fantasy Outlook: Carter might not be targeted nearly as often as Walker, but he should still be able to make his presence felt in Oakland.  Look for Carter to exceed 500 receiving yards and haul in a handful of touchdowns.

WR Javon Walker, Oakland Raiders

How Javon Walker will help the Oakland Raiders: Walker will be the No.1 receiver for the Raiders as Jerry Porter left town to sign with Jacksonville.  In 2006, Walker was able to bounce back from a major knee injury and play in every game and post over 1000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

In 2004, Walker also played in all sixteen games and eclipsed 1300 receiving yards and had 12 touchdowns.  If Walker can get healthy and come close to resembling the player he once was, the Raiders will have a very dangerous offense.

Fantasy Outlook: Walker has had a couple of real serious knee injuries, which has caused him to miss 22 games in the previous three seasons.  If Walker can avoid missing games this season, he could put up 1000 receiving yards and close to double digits in touchdowns.