Here’s a look at the perceived draft needs of the Oakland Raiders, with heavy input from Matt Miller and David Gardner of NewEraScouting.com.   

Left Tackle:  With the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, the Raiders whiffed.  Badly. 

At a position where guys taken at the top of the first round tend to work out far more often than they don’t, Robert Gallery joins the ranks of Tony Mandarich and Mike Williams as busts at the position.  The franchise has experimented with many players since then, with no lasting results.  Building around  franchise quarterback and 2007 No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell is a key for this offseason.  And giving Russell confidence in his line will help him take the next step in developing as a passer.

The Raiders can hope that Michigan’s Jake Long lasts to the fourth spot, but it might be a stretch.  The team is rumored to like Ryan Clady of Boise State, but he’s not a top-four pick.  With that high second-round pick shipped to Atlanta for cornerback DeAngelo Hall, hoping for a guy like Clady or Gosder Cherilus to be there in round two no longer matters.

Here’s another possibility — the Raiders will dangle their 2009 first-rounder to a team drafting in the bottom of round one, in order to land a left tackle.  If, as many league insiders believe, the Raiders’ recent efforts to improve won’t bear fruit, it could end up being a great investment for the team that coughs up the pick.  

And, yeah, we know that they’ve signed Kwame Harris.  But if he were a high-end left tackle, he wouldn’t have been on the open market.

Wide receiver:  Signing the talented (but weak-kneed) Javon Walker could bolster an anemic passing game.  Or maybe it will just grease the skids toward salary-cap hell. 

Walker is a dangerous receiver when healthy, but the knee with the torn ACL from 2005 flared up last year, raising real concerns about his long-term viability.  Oakland is still relying on Ronald Curry to be a reliable receiver.  While Curry has been solid, he is not a dynamic receiver and cannot be counted on to carry the team.

Adding a solid No. 2 wideout would take pressure off Walker and allow Curry to exploit single coverage from the slot.  The Raiders have shown a lot of interest in Limas Sweed of Texas, but No. 4 is way too high for him to go.  Vanderbilt’s Earl Bennett has been a name linked to Oakland as well.

Defensive end:  After Warren Sapp retired, the Raiders’ brass gave converted end Tommy Kelly (another ACL poster child) an enormous contract to play defensive tackle.  In so doing, they created a vacancy opposite pass rusher Derrick Burgess.  Kalimba Edwards recently signed, but if he was any good the Lions would have kept him.  We suppose it’s possible that Kelly would move back to end, if the Raiders take a defensive tackle like Sedrick Ellis or Glenn Dorsey in round one.

Vernon Gholston is a name that will be hard to overlook if he’s still on the board at No. 4.  The team has also been linked to Lawrence Jackson, Quentin Groves, and Calais Campbell.

Defensive tackle:  This team is thin at defensive tackle, with Gerard Warren currently the most consistent of the bunch. William Joseph offers name recognition, but has done little in his NFL career.  The Raiders are banking on Kelly becoming a great player, but the team still needs more help in the middle.

The obvious picks are Dorsey and Ellis, as both would be immediate starters.  The team also is thought to be fond of Red Bryant and Letroy Guinn.

Offensive guard:  There are a host of characters here, but no leading man.  Cooper Carlisle figures to start on the right side, with Robert Gallery returning on the left.  Gallery actually performed well in 2007 and may have finally found a home at the position.  Carlisle is a strong run blocker, but he has not been great in pass protection. 

The starting duo are backed up by versatile tweeners such as Paul McQuistan and Jonathan Palmer, who can play either inside or outside.

Outside linebacker:  Thomas Howard is becoming one of the better linebackers in the AFC, improving greatly each season.  Opposite Howard, the Raiders are relying on Robert Thomas and Sam Williams.  Thomas is a former
first-round selection of the Rams, who has bounced around the league a bit in his seven NFL seasons.  Williams is a good tackler and special-teams player, but he doesn’t bring any real excitement to the table.

Ezra Butler of Nevada has had the eyes of the Raiders’ scouts on him this offseason, as has stud USC linebacker Keith Rivers.  Rivers was a staff favorite at the Senior Bowl.

Strong safety:  Michael Huff has been baptized by fire, with two up and down seasons at safety.  There have been rumors of moving him to corner or trading him (but, as we’ve heard it, no one wants him).  There is at this time no depth behind him.  Adding a safety who can help on special teams and in coverage is a late-round need for Oakland.

The team could look at players like Jonathan Hefney (Tennessee) or Jamie Silva (Boston College) in the sixth or seventh round.