Reaction to Terrelle Pryor Being Drafted by the Oakland Raiders

The 2011 NFL Supplemental draft took place on Monday, and the Oakland Raiders–as many predicted–made the only selection when they took former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor with their third round pick.

The selection leaves the Raiders without second, third, and fourth round picks in next year’s draft, but they are also likely set to receive compensatory picks for the loss of some combination of Nnamdi Asomugha (3rd), Zach Miller (3rd), and Robert Gallery (4th), though the Raiders did sign Kevin Boss at tight end, which could (or could not) negate the third or fourth round pick they would have otherwise received for Miller/Gallery.

Regardless of that, let’s focus on the present. The Raiders didn’t lose those picks for nothing–they spent them. They used those picks on what amounted to be DeMarcus Van Dyke, Jason Campbell, Taiwan Jones, and Joseph Barksdale in addition to the addition of Pryor.

Early word was that Pryor is being looked at by the Raiders as a wide receiver, and I’m not so sure I agree with that nor do I think it’s a good fit for Pryor (position wise). I am not so sure the Raiders would have used such a high pick on a guy they thought was only going to amount to a receiver when he has shown signs of improvement at quarterback, but I could certainly be wrong. I believe that Pryor has a chance to be a quarterback in the NFL, and perhaps he will play somewhat of a “Joe Webb” type of role for the Raiders.

I will think much more highly of this pick if Pryor was selected to play quarterback. John Clayton indicated the Raiders plan on using him as a wide receiver, so we will see what happens. He showed at Ohio State that he can run some routes, catching three passes–two for touchdowns.

I am a lot more high on Pryor as a quarterback prospect than most, but I evaluate him as a playmaker not just as a thrower, and part of that would go well with being a receiver. He’s 6’5″ 235 pounds and he runs a sub-4.4 second 40 yard dash, so I’m pretty sure he can play receiver. He’s also a former basketball star in high school, so we know he has leaping ability and agility.

All in all, I am not surprised by that pick nor am I that blown away by it. I thought Pryor could easily go in the third round, so I don’t view it as a reach. I will like this pick better if he’s a QB, but as a WR I am pretty lukewarm on it. We will see how the Raiders choose to use the playmaker from Ohio State, but he’s definitely a guy you want to have the ball in his hands–that is for darn sure.