Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (85) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Re-Drafting the Raiders 2009 First Round Pick

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated May 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Raiders organization has not found success in winning games and playing in meaningful games over the last two decades. Yes, they have had a couple of seasons where they looked to finally turn the page, but they were not able to.

The Raiders have not found consistent winning in a long time. That has hurt the Raiders tremendously as they want to get back to winning games, but they have not found the recipe just yet. The Raiders have tried getting new head coaches, general managers, and players, but that has not worked for them as well. The Raiders have been searching for the answers for a long time.

One thing that has also set the Raiders franchise back over the last couple of decades has been the drafting, especially in the first round. The Raiders have not done a great job of finding the right players that best fit their roster and what players will give them the best opportunity to win games. A lot of players have been misses or even some busts.

Some have shown sparks but have never really put it all together. And the Raiders have been bad at elevating talent in the draft.

Today, we will take a look back at the 2009 NFL Draft and see what people the Raiders take in the re-draft. The Silver and Black in 2009 had the seventh overall pick. The pick for the Raiders was a classic one. The Raiders took a young speedy wide receiver from the University of Maryland, and that was Darrius Heyward-Bey. That was a classic pick by the late, great Raiders owner Al Davis.

Davis always loved players with a lot of speed and Heyward-Bey has a lot of speed. In 2009, the pick made sense since the Raiders were looking for a wide receiver and Heyward-Bey was coming off a good college career.

In PFF's 2009 NFL Re-Draft, they had the Raiders taking a different wide receiver.

7. Oakland Raiders: WR Julian Edelman, (Round 7, Pick 232)

Original Pick: WR , Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland

The Raiders took a big swing on Darrius Heyward-Bey here, but the speedster didn't muster even 3,000 career receiving yards. Instead, Oakland selects Super Bowl 53 MVP Julian Edelman.

The three-time Super Bowl champion earned an 88.3 career PFF overall grade, and his 1,442 receiving yards in the playoffs trail only Jerry Rice and Travis Kelce for the most all time.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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