Michael Wagaman 9y

Reggie McKenzie on first pick: Just want to get it right

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- As a rule of thumb, Reggie McKenzie doesn't like to trade away his draft picks. But the Oakland Raiders general manager said Friday that he is willing to listen to offers for the team's first-round selection in next week's NFL draft.

"I'm always open but it has to be the right deal," McKenzie said. "And it depends on the player who's there at your pick. There's a lot that factors into that but the phone lines are always open. You hear everybody out. If it makes sense, if it's going to help the Raiders, we'll do a deal."

Oakland owns the fourth overall selection in the draft and the team has already been linked to several players, including wide receivers Amari Cooper and Kevin White along with defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Neither McKenzie nor head coach Jack Del Rio were willing to get discuss those players -- "It's not our job to prepare other people around the league for the draft," Del Rio said -- or much else during a 25-minute press conference at the team's headquarters.

In that way, the Raiders are like every other NFL team that works in secrecy and private when prepping for the draft. While the public speculates and mock drafts are compiled, teams tend to stay tight-lipped in the days leading up to the draft.

McKenzie shied away from many questions. He declined to say whether the Raiders needed to upgrade their receiving corps through the draft, as has widely been speculated. The Oakland GM also politely danced around queries about the team needing a pass-rusher like Williams.

"We don't want to just throw out the information of what we need but there are some good players in this draft and we will get some of those guys," McKenzie said.

Asked if there was pressure on the team to hit a proverbial home run with their first-round pick, McKenzie was a little more forthcoming.

"We just want to get it right," he said. "We want to get the player that we feel can best help our team, and that's what we're going to do. Whether there's pressure or not, I want to him on my seventh-round pick too."

The Raiders did well in the 2014 draft, acquiring three starters (linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Derek Carr and left guard Gabe Jackson) and two others (defensive lineman Justin Ellis and cornerback TJ Carrie) who played extensively on defense.

Oakland has fewer holes on its roster than it did a year ago, which should make navigating the draft easier this time around for McKenzie and Co. Just don't expect the Raiders GM to talk about it.

"You're not going to get a whole lot of information from me as far as who do I like or where do we think a lot of players are," McKenzie said. "But I will say this: We're doing our work to make sure that we cover all positions. And we've got them covered."

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