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usatoday:
Criticism of Raiders' second-round pick off-base?
By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY
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The Raiders have taken some criticism among draft analysts for selecting Ohio safety Michael Mitchell with the 47th overall pick. (They also surprised many by taking Maryland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick.)
Several analysts said on ESPN and the NFL Network last night that they knew little about Mitchell. The NFLN's Mike Mayock suggested Mitchell was a late-round pick at best.
But it turns out the Raiders may have had good reason to select Mitchell at 47. The Bears told Mitchell they planned to take him with the 49th overall pick.
"When (the Bears) did that, I was like, 'I'm going to be a Chicago Bear,' " Mitchell told reporters in a conference call. "That's what I was thinking."
Bears GM Jerry Angelo ended up trading the 49th pick to Seattle after Mitchell went to Oakland. He didn't confirm his interest in Mitchell, but acknowledged he missed out on his target player.
"Unfortunately the players we targeted at 49 did not fall to us," Angelo told reporters, "and we weren't in a position that we were able to move up -- we just didn't have enough."
Hat tip: Chicago Tribune
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