Dominic~Raiola

Notes
• Stock is Rising
• Raiola's stock can't get much higher than it already is but somehow its going up. Early mock drafts placed him in the 2nd and even 3rd rounds, then they had him going to Pittsburgh in the 2nd, then Baltimore in the 1st (pick #31), and now he is as high as the 19th pick overall (Detroit).
• Mel Kiper on why he has Detroit picking Raiola with the 18th pick of the first round: "With C Mike Compton and RG Jeff Hartings both unrestricted free agents, the possibility exists that the Lions could be forced to upgrade the interior of their offensive line. Raiola established himself as the Huskers' top pivot man since Dave Rimington, figuring to anchor an NFL offensive line for a long time."
• TFY Draft Preview declared that Nebraska OC Dominic Raiola has been so impressive in his post season work that he might have boosted his stock to the "middle of the 1st round".
• The War Room Mailbag: "What are your feelings on the Steelers drafting center Dominic Raiola from Nebraska in the first round? With Dermonti Dawson gone, I think this would be a smart pick -- good centers are hard to find." - DeVallance@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
  ***Todd: It's not often that we would agree to draft a center in the middle of the first round, but Raiola is a special player. He doesn't have ideal height, but he has everything else -- including the perfect approach to the game.
  Pittsburgh may look to trade down to make drafting Raiola a better value, but the fit is ideal. With Bettis re-signing and Dawson out of the equation, Raiola would make a huge impact right away for the Steelers' offense similar to Damien Woody's impact with the Patriots.