Thirty-five miles up Interstate 880 in Alameda, the Bay Area's less fortunate NFL franchise staged a far more subdued gathering, where a much smaller crew of reporters covered a first-round trade for a defensive back amid significantly higher stakes.
When Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie dealt the third overall selection to the Miami Dolphins, then sweated out nine picks before landing Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden, the scouts and coaches in the team's war room championed the move with far less certainty than would their Niners counterparts.
The rebuilding Raiders, after all, may have more needs than any NFL team, and Hayden was hardly an obvious pick: Given that he hasn't played a down of football since suffering a near-death experience after a freak practice collision last November, he is somewhat of a medical risk.
And given that Hayden, as one Raiders source put it, "was taken that high in exactly zero mock drafts," there didn't seem to be much danger of him being snatched up by another team selecting in the top 11.
The fact that McKenzie came within two minutes of using the No. 3 pick on Hayden – before the Dolphins (seeking Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan) called to save the day, making the deal that gave Oakland its second-round selection – made for some tense moments in the war room.
Shortly after picking Hayden, McKenzie took the stage at the media auditorium in the team's training facility and looked more relieved than elated. Fifteen months into his tenure, having already replaced 38 of the 53 players he inherited, McKenzie can't afford to be wrong about Hayden. I asked a question noting the importance of the pick, declaring, "I assume there's no doubt in your mind that he'll be a big-time player."
"[I'll] use your words," McKenzie replied, smiling. "No doubt."
It would be wonderful, of course, if McKenzie could power-wash all of the doubt off of Raider Nation's silver-and-black sheen.
Former quarterback Carson Palmer – acquired in the pre-McKenzie trade that cost Oakland the second-round selection it recouped on Thursday – was so dubious about the franchise's direction that he refused a relatively modest pay reduction, triggering a trade to the Arizona Cardinals.
With the coach McKenzie hired, Dennis Allen, coming off a 4-12 rookie season, there's not a lot of legitimate optimism emanating out of Oakland heading into the 2013 campaign. And while owner Mark Davis has publicly insisted that he remains committed to his GM, he seems to share some of the impatience for which his late, legendary father, Al, was notorious.
McKenzie, as one source familiar with the Raiders' inner workings put it, is very much in "show me" territory as he presides over his second draft. At least opening night was relevant this year; last April, Oakland didn't make its first selection until the end of the third round, with the GM using the 95th overall pick on offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is in need of bodies for his roster. (USA Today Sports) Given that snoozer of a debut, it's no wonder that McKenzie conceded Thursday night that "to pick up some [extra] picks was the top priority."
Thanks to the Dolphins, McKenzie enters Friday with a fighting chance to improve his hole-ridden roster, as Oakland has picks in the second (42nd overall) and third (66th) rounds. He'll likely be on the lookout for further trade-down opportunities, which would allow the Raiders to stockpile additional selections.
To borrow from "Animal House," they need the dudes.
