Daily Madden: NFL Draft Speculation
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - In the midst of the ongoing dispute between owners and players, the NFL draft gets underway Thursday night with speculation swirling around who the local teams will pick.
The San Francisco 49ers have a first round pick. The Oakland Raiders will need to make a trade if they want to make a pick Thursday.
John Madden told the KCBS morning crew that it's easy to say the 49ers need a quarterback, but "you can't manufacture one."
Madden said the best college quarterback, one who could be labeled a "franchise" QB, is Stanford's Andrew Luck, but he opted to stay in school for his last year.
"If you don't get that franchise quarterback type of guy, I like the big lineman," said Madden. "He may not be the flashiest guy at the party, but he's going to be at the party a long time."
Madden said he expects the Raiders to try to trade for a first round pick, but "whether they'll be able to do it or not, I'm not sure."
Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis will grace the cover of the Madden NFL 12 video game, beating out Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in fan voting.
Hillis said he's not afraid of the "Madden Curse." Madden said that's good because "it's a silly thing." (8:10)
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