Chris Long follows in Howie's footsteps

The most hard-core of Raiders fans have three basic questions about Chris Long:

1. How much will it cost him to pry jersey No. 75 away from offensive tackle Mario Henderson?

2. Was he really born with a sixth finger on his left hand?

3. If so, why did doctors remove it, since he'll need at least 11 digits to hold all the Super Bowl rings he's about to earn in Oakland.

The scenario is so perfect, it simply has to come true. The son of Howie Long -- one of the greatest players ever to slip into Silver and Black -- comes to the Raiders with the fourth draft choice of the first round, teams with Derrick Burgess to form an unholy and unstoppable pass-rush tandem, and helps restore Al Davis' languishing team to NFL glory.

Remember, one of Chris Long's earliest football memories is ducking down onto the floor of his mom's car to avoid Davis -- who didn't allow families at training camp -- as the two of them attempted to sneak in to visit Howie.

"Don't tell Al Davis that happened," Chris said.

The owner would certainly forgive Long for that minor indiscretion in exchange for, say, 10 sacks a season. The only hitch is that Chris Long is probably too good. There's little chance the Virginia defensive end will be available at No. 4.

Long is considered by many to be the premier prospect in this year's draft. The Dolphins reached an agreement with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long (who has the poor taste not to be related to Howie) on Tuesday and will make him the No. 1 pick. There is little chance Chris Long will fall past the Rams at No. 2.

The prodigious son is years ahead of the game in terms of technique and football knowledge. He takes perfect angles to the ball, keeps solid leverage in traffic and sheds blockers like a pro. And like his father, he is utterly relentless. Though he was the biggest star on the team at Virginia (the school retired his jersey before his final home game), he was also considered the Cavaliers' best practice player. Yet Long is no scrawny overachiever. He's quick off the ball, has a strong upper body and long arms, and shows good lateral pursuit.

"He's a first-round-caliber athlete," said Rob Rang, senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. "Even if he had zero instincts and zero technique, he'd still be worthy of the first round. Because he's so instinctive and so technically refined, people want to knock his athleticism. That's just not the case."

Perhaps most important to NFL scouts, Long is adaptable. He played defensive end in the 3-4 at Virginia. And while he's probably not big enough at 6-foot-3, 272 pounds to do that at the pro level, most feel he could transition smoothly enough either to 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end.

"He's the most versatile player in the draft," Rang said. "He can play 3-4, 4-3, inside, outside. You just have to figure out where you're going to get the most value out of him."

Howie Long, who played defensive end for the Raiders for 13 stellar seasons -- all but one of them in Los Angeles -- on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has remained consistently inconspicuous throughout Chris' draft process. That's a contrast to say, Archie Manning, whose behind-the-scenes work for sons Peyton and Eli was not well concealed.

"It's a testament to the fact that he's such a great guy and such a humble guy," Chris said. "It's not his style to want to steal the spotlight from his sons. I have two little brothers (Kyle and Howie Jr.), and he does the same with them. He takes the backseat. Everybody has a time, and this is our time."

While Howie's eight Pro Bowl appearances won't do Chris a bit of good when he takes the field, most scouts see the relationship as a positive.

"When the dad's a Hall of Famer, one, (the son) is hungering to prove he's his own man, and two, he's able to handle the media attention," Rang said. "You put some of these guys in the spotlight, these are 20-year-old kids, and the next thing you know, they're on YouTube, giving 20-year-old girls drinks out of beer bongs. The son of a player, at least they have a reasonable expectation of the money and attention."

Indeed, Howie's imprint is everywhere on his eldest son, from the square jaw to the chiseled physique to the nonstop motor.

"My dad taught me to work hard and be the same guy every day," Chris said. "If that's going 100 mph and working hard, then that's what I'll do."

Even as he begins to construct his own body of work, Chris Long is more than willing to acknowledge the cloth from which he was cut. In most regards, anyway.

"I've decided that I'm going to stick with my hairdo and never rock the flattop," he posted on a recent ESPN.com chat. "But that's a good question, because that is a legacy to live up to."

You can reach Staff Writer

Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.