Tony Bergstrom was an All-Pac-12 tackle at Utah, but projects as a guard in the NFL. He showed at the Senior Bowl that he could handle the new position.
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Reggie McKenzie got a guy.
After watching the first 94 picks of the NFL draft, the Raiders' new general manager finally got to do something and drafted Utah guard Tony Bergstrom with the last pick of the third round.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Bergstrom played tackle at Utah and was an All-Pac-12 selection last season. But most NFL scouts saw him moving inside to guard, and Bergstrom rubber-stamped that when he played well there at the Senior Bowl.
McKenzie said Bergstrom is "tough and has great football intelligence." As the third round went on, he told coach Dennis Allen and the scouts in the room that "if this guy is going to fall, we're going to take him."
Bergstrom is ticketed to be the starter at left guard in 2013, but he could push veteran Cooper Carlisle this season. Carlisle was cut and re-signed last month. And McKenzie and Allen mentioned how nice it will be to have Bergstrom's versatility if they need to put him back at tackle.
"He has the athletic ability you need to run our zone-blocking scheme," Allen said.
Bergstrom said he enjoyed the move to guard at the Senior Bowl, after coaches and scouts tipped him off that it was in his best interests. While ESPN's Mel Kiper had him ranked as the 17th-best tackle, Pro Football Weekly had Bergstrom as the No. 1 guard for a zone-blocking scheme.
"I've already had a bit of a taste for it. There's a little growing pains," he said in a conference call. "But it's something that came pretty naturally to me. It was fun. I'm not going to lie to you.
"You get inside, it's not so much finesse anymore. It's a little more gritty. I feel like I'm capable of making that transition."
Bergstrom might get a chance to push around his brother-in-law, Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger. The Raiders play at Baltimore on Nov. 11.
"That was something (he checked) right quick," he said. "I was able to talk to Paul. He's always been kind of an Oakland fan, so he was pretty excited for me to go there."
Especially after all the time Kruger put in with Bergstrom.
"Not just throughout this process," Bergstrom said. "Even in my senior year, I talked to him and he'd kind of fill me in a lot on what it was about my game that needed to change and what NFL coaches were really looking for out of college linemen. That was probably the biggest help from him, just every week telling me what it is that I need to do to be more recognizable to NFL coaches."
McKenzie and Allen recognized him. They were relieved to finally have a new player after sitting around Thursday during a first round that McKenzie called a "dress rehearsal." Then, the second round started Friday and still nothing.
"It's difficult to see names flying off the board," McKenzie said. "Very hard to watch good players that you like coming off the board. ... But that's part of it."
The Raiders had traded away their first- and second-round picks, and McKenzie vowed to pick the best player available when their turn came up. Some thought that might be Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, who was supposed to be a second-round pick before he had knee surgery in January.
But the knee issue that pushed him to the Raiders' spot apparently pushed him past it, and they may revisit drafting him Saturday. Chapman's agent says he will be ready for the start of training camp.
Height, weight: 6-5, 315
Age: 25
College: Utah
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Of note: Played tackle in college and then impressed scouts when he looked good at guard at the Senior Bowl. ... A chemical engineering major. ... Went on a mission with his church for two years after high school. ... Married with a daughter. ... Cousin Ryan Roberts is an infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After watching the first 94 picks of the NFL draft, the Raiders' new general manager finally got to do something and drafted Utah guard Tony Bergstrom with the last pick of the third round.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Bergstrom played tackle at Utah and was an All-Pac-12 selection last season. But most NFL scouts saw him moving inside to guard, and Bergstrom rubber-stamped that when he played well there at the Senior Bowl.
McKenzie said Bergstrom is "tough and has great football intelligence." As the third round went on, he told coach Dennis Allen and the scouts in the room that "if this guy is going to fall, we're going to take him."
Bergstrom is ticketed to be the starter at left guard in 2013, but he could push veteran Cooper Carlisle this season. Carlisle was cut and re-signed last month. And McKenzie and Allen mentioned how nice it will be to have Bergstrom's versatility if they need to put him back at tackle.
"He has the athletic ability you need to run our zone-blocking scheme," Allen said.
Bergstrom said he enjoyed the move to guard at the Senior Bowl, after coaches and scouts tipped him off that it was in his best interests. While ESPN's Mel Kiper had him ranked as the 17th-best tackle, Pro Football Weekly had Bergstrom as the No. 1 guard for a zone-blocking scheme.
"I've already had a bit of a taste for it. There's a little growing pains," he said in a conference call. "But it's something that came pretty naturally to me. It was fun. I'm not going to lie to you.
"You get inside, it's not so much finesse anymore. It's a little more gritty. I feel like I'm capable of making that transition."
Bergstrom might get a chance to push around his brother-in-law, Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger. The Raiders play at Baltimore on Nov. 11.
"That was something (he checked) right quick," he said. "I was able to talk to Paul. He's always been kind of an Oakland fan, so he was pretty excited for me to go there."
Especially after all the time Kruger put in with Bergstrom.
"Not just throughout this process," Bergstrom said. "Even in my senior year, I talked to him and he'd kind of fill me in a lot on what it was about my game that needed to change and what NFL coaches were really looking for out of college linemen. That was probably the biggest help from him, just every week telling me what it is that I need to do to be more recognizable to NFL coaches."
McKenzie and Allen recognized him. They were relieved to finally have a new player after sitting around Thursday during a first round that McKenzie called a "dress rehearsal." Then, the second round started Friday and still nothing.
"It's difficult to see names flying off the board," McKenzie said. "Very hard to watch good players that you like coming off the board. ... But that's part of it."
The Raiders had traded away their first- and second-round picks, and McKenzie vowed to pick the best player available when their turn came up. Some thought that might be Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, who was supposed to be a second-round pick before he had knee surgery in January.
But the knee issue that pushed him to the Raiders' spot apparently pushed him past it, and they may revisit drafting him Saturday. Chapman's agent says he will be ready for the start of training camp.
Tony Bergstrom
Position: GuardHeight, weight: 6-5, 315
Age: 25
College: Utah
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Of note: Played tackle in college and then impressed scouts when he looked good at guard at the Senior Bowl. ... A chemical engineering major. ... Went on a mission with his church for two years after high school. ... Married with a daughter. ... Cousin Ryan Roberts is an infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/27/SPK01OA9O3.DTL#ixzz1tm8x5qWd
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