Mike Iupati emerging as possible choice for Raiders

by Dan Kadar on Apr 21, 2010 12:32 AM EDT in 2010 NFL Draft

According to Michael Smith of ESPN, Idaho guard Mike Iupati is emerging as the possible choice for the Oakland Raiders with the eighth overall selection.

From Smith's Twitter page:

The Mike Iupati to Oakland @ #8 talk is picking up steam. Two league sources who know the Raiders well tell me that's who they're targeting.

This was a theory first proposed by Wes Bunting of the National Football Post on April 19. He wrote:

We always talk about the Raiders and their love for speed, but one dark horse I keep hearing is getting a lot of love from the Oakland coaching staff is offensive guard Mike Iupati. Iupati played at Idaho, where head coach Tom Cable once coached, and is said to be under consideration for the eighth overall pick.

It's not the type of athletic freak you'd expect owner Al Davis to target. Nor is it exactly a major early round need. But with Davis, we should come to expect the unexpected.

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Taking a guard @ 8

would be nuts, wouldn’t it?

The Personal Finance Playbook.

by Toddius on Apr 21, 2010 12:34 AM EDT reply actions

This is Al Davis we are talking about here

Mt Cody will be the chiefs pick.
Chiefs trade down with philly for 24th and 37th for the 5th
24th Terrence Cody NT, 36th Nate Allen S, 37th Jerry Hughes OLB, 50th Vladimeer Ducasse OT, 68th Brandon Spikes ILB, 102nd Eric Olsen C, 136th Darrel Stuckey S, 142nd Anthony McCoy TE, 146th John Connor FB

by trentchiefsfan on Apr 21, 2010 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions

looking back, don’t you think that the Bears would love to have steve hutchinson instead of David Terrell? I would say so. Iupati is maybe the best Guard Prospect since hutchinson and may be a better prospect coming out than Hutchinson was.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.

by bross09 on Apr 21, 2010 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions

With Al Davis you can't count out any player

He would find a way to trade his first round pick to the Broncos for Usain Bolt

by trentchiefsfan on Apr 21, 2010 12:37 AM EDT reply actions

Did he run a 4.3?

living the Texas dream

by Joe25 on Apr 21, 2010 12:37 AM EDT reply actions

Well,

This pick is undoubtedly a reach, but not all that bad of a reach by Al Davis standards. So much for them drafting Jacoby Ford at 8 overall in my mock (for obvious reasons)!

Self-anointed President of the Kenjon Barner fan club.

by CaDuck on Apr 21, 2010 12:41 AM EDT reply actions

Nobody Knows

I don’t believe anything I hear until draft day ESPECIALLY about what the craps-shoot Raiders will do.

by Blue Eyed Devil on Apr 21, 2010 12:50 AM EDT reply actions

Anyone know if the Raiders are really moving away from their zone blocking scheme?

Because that would be hilarious if they draft this guy, and change schemes. Considering Cable’s MO is the ZBS. Al Davis actually does draft pretty well in mid rounds, his 2009 draft wasnt the worst in the division by far. But I guess thats not saying much considering its the AFCW

IMO

by Foilhat on Apr 21, 2010 1:06 AM EDT reply actions

Yes it was. I'm assuming you think the chiefs draft was worse

We got the best rookie kicker since forever. While Jackson was a reach, he was no where near the reach that Heyward-Bey was. We at least picked the best player at a position of need. Raiders picked a sub par player at a position of need when Crabtree, The top rated WR, was still available

by trentchiefsfan on Apr 21, 2010 2:26 AM EDT up reply actions

re:

We got the best rookie kicker since forever.

I hope you weren’t serious with that one.

The Raiders got Murphy and Shaughnessy in the middle rounds, two promising players. It was their first two picks that were really bad.

by Brendan Scolari on Apr 21, 2010 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

and how much impact does a good Rookie Kicker have? it is a sad day when the guy with the biggest impact in a draft is a 7th round kicker.

We got the best rookie kicker since forever

I can think of rookie years that were better

Vanderjagt
Birionas
Nate Kaeding

Just to name a few off the top of my head.
Statements like this discredit the Chiefs fanbase’s sanity as a whole, and sadly i have seen too many of these on MTD.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.

by bross09 on Apr 21, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not even going to bother

Projecting a pick for the Raiders right now. I can’t pretend to have any modicum of a clue.

http://oursaviorchuck.ytmnd.com/

by Conjunction on Apr 21, 2010 1:09 AM EDT reply actions

Oh boy,

if this does happen, it’ll definitely change things up at the later first round.

Dream Draft:

1) Rolando McClain
2) Lamarr Houston
3) Kyle Calloway
4) Major Wright
5) Deji Karim
6) Sergio Render
7) Rashawn Jackson

by BigBlueIntervention on Apr 21, 2010 1:46 AM EDT reply actions

Good Lord. A Guard?! At Eighth?!?!

Can’t anyone in the Raiders organization use this as proof that Al Davis is not of sound mind and have him committed for his own damn good?!

For the love of… you can get a decent Guard in the Second Round! Raiders could trade down into the mid-20s of the First and still get him! THIS. IS. WRONG. On so many levels!

Witty's madness once again comes in HTML format at Witty's Draft PREview so stop on by and glower at my chaotic decision-making...

by witty on Apr 21, 2010 7:24 AM EDT reply actions

It'd be better than picking someone like Bruce Campbell or Jason Pierre-Paul

At least Iupati is actually a good player.

you can get a decent Guard in the Second Round!

Iupati isn’t a decent guard, he’s an absolutely terrific one.

Raiders could trade down into the mid-20s of the First and still get him!

Not necessarily, the NIners and Steelers have both been rumored to have interest in Iupati in the teens.

by Brendan Scolari on Apr 21, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions

would you take steve hutchinson at 8? I would…an elite guard can be worth this high of a pick.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.

by bross09 on Apr 21, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Lemme clarify

The Raiders have higher needs at:

OLB
OT
DE
maybe CB or S

While Iupati may be the best Guard in this draft, it’s not at a priority need spot. And given where Oakland is drafting (8th), Iupati isn’t that high a Best Available Player (ranked 20th) across the board that would go there.

There’s a possibility DE Derrick Morgan could be there at 8th. Maybe OT Trent Williams. There’s a chance CB could be had with Haden. Any of these make better sense than a Guard.

Witty's madness once again comes in HTML format at Witty's Draft PREview so stop on by and glower at my chaotic decision-making...

by witty on Apr 21, 2010 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions