With the seventh overall pick of the 2009 draft the Oakland Raiders chose the 6’2”, 210 lbs. wide receiver out of the University of Maryland. Al Davis and the Raiders never fail to surprise and this pick is no exception. Heyward-Bey is unsurpassed as far as flat speed is concerned, running a 4.3 40-yard dash, but he is a very undeveloped talent. The Raiders took a real risk for speed on this pick. They are hoping his speed matches up with JaMarcus Russell’s arm strength.

Heyward-Bey lit up the field at Maryland despite the Terps lacking at the quarterback position and wide receiver position. Teams often double-teamed him due to the lack of other offensive weapons. He racked up 2,403 all-purpose yards in his 3 years at Maryland despite the constant double-teams. He is ranked second in receiving yards in Maryland history with 2,089 yards.

He is a player that poses a threat on every offensive down due to his unreal speed off the line of scrimmage. He is a touchdown threat from anywhere on the field, especially if he catches the ball in space. He has strong hands and a physique meant for his position. His hands handle tough passes out of the air and he has learned to use his body to his advantage.

The worry for the Oakland Raiders is that he hasn’t got much skill besides his pure speed. There are questions about his toughness, especially going over the middle and going hard for contested passes. Darrius Heyward-Bey is a focused football player. He knows he is raw and combats that head on by working hard. A track star in high school, he didn’t run in college so that he could focus totally on football.