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Feb. 27: Campbell May Have Just Booked His Ticket to Oakland


For Oakland, it’s seemingly a perfect fit. The Raiders need a tackle, and Al Davis loves freak athletes. Now, Oakland can have both.

Maryland tackle Bruce Campbell has absolutely lit up the combine so far. A day after putting up 34 reps of 225 on the bench press, Campbell (6-foot-6, 314) ran a 4.85 in the 40-yard dash.

Wow. Think about that for a second, a 4.85 at 314 pounds. That’s ridiculous.

In comparison, Brandon Marshall ran a 4.70 at his Pro Day back in 2006 and Anquan Boldin was timed as low as 4.72 at the 2003 NFL combine.

Campbell's 34 reps of 225 isn’t bad either; neither is his 32-inch vertical jump. Nonetheless, Campbell still has plenty of questions to answer. And if I was a general manager, I still wouldn’t be entirely comfortable taking him before the second round, especially in the top 10. He will most likely go somewhere between Pittsburgh at 18 and Dallas at 27.

There’s no questioning his potential and rare physical skill-set. But on the field, he is still very much a work in progress. He often appears off-balance in his stance and lacks consistency with his leverage, allowing him to be pushed back by defensive ends who don’t possess nearly the physical gifts he does. He’s also not as dominating a run blocker as you’d like to see from someone with his size and strength.

He also has limited experience, starting just 17 games as a Terrapin, and battling several nagging injuries during the 2009 season.

Now, don’t get me wrong. He’s a pretty good pass blocker and a decent run blocker at this point, and he has all the tools to be elite in both departments. But, similar to South Florida’s Jason Pierre-Paul, Campbell will be drafted more on potential than actual production. I fully expect some growing pains once he gets to the NFL.

So, the potential is there, but where would you be comfortable taking Campbell? I have a feeling Al Davis' answer might be different than some others.

Here's a quick look at Campbell from Maryland's season opener at Cal.

-Matt Zenitz




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