ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -The Oakland Raiders used the first pick of the second day of the NFL draft to select running back Michael Bush, a player who had first-round potential before a broken leg cut short his senior season at Louisville.
Bush was considered one of the top running backs in the country before breaking his leg in Louisville’s opener against Kentucky in September. He was coming off a junior season in which he ran for 1,143 yards and an NCAA-leading 23 touchdowns.
He applied for a medical redshirt in case he decided to come back to school, but instead opted to enter the draft. The Raiders were happy to take a chance on him with the first pick of the fourth round.
The second day of the draft was a busy one for Oakland, which also traded disgruntled receiver Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round pick.
Earlier this month, Bush took part in his first full workout since he was hurt in September, and also received a thumbs-up prognosis from James Andrews, an Alabama-based orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports injuries.
The injury led Bush’s stock to fall in numerous draft projections. Before being hurt, the 6-foot-1, 251-pound Bush was noted for running with both power and speed, while also being a capable receiver. He actually came to Louisville as a quarterback.
Bush had a second operation in March when a new rod was inserted into his leg after the bone didn’t heal quickly enough from the initial surgery.
The Raiders already signed free agent running back Dominic Rhodes from the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts and have LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas returning at the position. New coach Lane Kiffin has compared Bush to LenDale White, the running back he coached in college at Southern California.
With the pick the Raiders got for Moss, they selected speedy cornerback John Bowie from Cincinnati, a former 100-meter Big East champion. Oakland then selected defensive lineman Jay Richardson from Ohio State with the first pick of the fifth round.
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