ESPN's Michael Smith reported Tuesday night, via Twitter, that two league sources told him that the Oakland Raiders are targeting Idaho OG Mike Iupati with their top selection.
It's not clear whether or not Oakland would seek a move down in order to select Iupati, though it's certainly possible. Considered one of the safest bets in the draft, Iupati could be had somewhere in the teens. Knowing the unpredictability of Al Davis, however, it's entirely plausible (and by that, we mean plausible only for him) that Iupati will be Oakland's selection at No. 8 overall. Raiders coach Tom Cable has been pining for better line play, and Iupati would get them started in that department.
Should the reports turn out to be true, and Iupati is indeed Oakland's top target, it will help the Buffalo Bills - who pick directly after Oakland - in the sense that one more of the draft's elite prospects could be available to them. Oakland has been linked to tackles, and if one slips past the trio of Washington, Kansas City and Seattle, that player might now slip right past Oakland into Buffalo's lap. Of course, Iupati might be Oakland's Plan B to one of those tackles sliding, too, particularly if it's Oklahoma's Trent Williams that drops.
The top of the first round is still rather murky from pick four on, but this developing Iupati-to-Oakland story could have a major impact on the Bills' draft board. This is a story worth watching over the next 48 hours, folks.