When the Raiders selected Darrius Heyward-Bey with the draft's seventh overall pick in April, the criticisms immediately began. How could the Raiders take him ahead of Michael Crabtree, the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner? Why did the Raiders take him seventh when most prognosticators believed he would have lasted until the end of the first round? Is Heyward-Bey anything more than a glorified track star?

Heyward-Bey says he isn't concerned about any of that criticism. He heard the same critiques when he made the leap from prep track star to freshman wide receiver at Maryland.

"[The Raiders] chose a guy who fit what they're trying to do, and for me there's no added motivation," Heyward-Bey said. "If I was the first pick in the draft or the last pick in the draft, I was going to come in and do the exact same thing: work hard and just be the best player I can be. I can't worry about what people are saying out there in the media."

In college, Heyward-Bey silenced the doubters when he posted a five-catch, 175-yard, two-touchdown performance against Miami (Fla.) as a redshirt freshman. Using his track speed to perfection, Heyward-Bey scored from 96 and 65 yards out in that game.

Conversely, Heyward-Bey hasn't done much to silence his critics in his first minicamps and OTAs in the NFL. He injured his hamstring in May and then reinjured it in June, putting his status in question for the opening of training camp.

Heyward-Bey also took some heat after a number of drops during minicamps and OTAs. Most experts agree that catching the ball is one of the more important areas where Heyward-Bey needs to improve. Even his college head coach, Ralph Friedgen, acknowledged that Heyward-Bey will have to catch the ball better in the NFL.

In addition, Heyward-Bey still lacks basic football experience. He played only two years in high school, followed by three years at Maryland. On the other hand, he is seeping with raw potential, as he showed at the Scouting Combine. Posting a 38½-inch vertical jump and a 4.3 40-time, Heyward-Bey stole the show.

That performance vaulted Heyward-Bey up draft boards, especially the Raiders'. Crabtree wasn't the only highly regarded receiver the Raiders passed up to take Heyward-Bey. WRs Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt were all selected in the first round. Still, Heyward-Bey insists that he doesn't focus on the inevitable comparisons.

"(There is) no pressure at all. All I can do is just work hard each and every day," he said. "All I can do is go out there and do my job, and everything will fall in place."

Heyward-Bey said he still keeps in touch with those other receivers, after hitting it off with them during the time leading up to the draft.

"We don't really talk about football that much, just (about) making sure everything is good — did you find a place yet? What kind of car are you getting?" Heyward-Bey said. "(We're) competitors and friends at the same time."

On paper, Heyward-Bey appears to be a perfect fit for an Oakland offense that likes to air it out. The combination of his track speed and JaMarcus Russell's cannon arm could prove lethal to opposing defenses. However, as has been the case with Russell, translating talent into production is not as easy as it seems.

"The guy is raw as hell," one director of college scouting said. "He is not a natural catcher. He will body-catch. Sometimes he doesn't come out of his breaks very well. He has some stiffness. Obviously, he runs (fades) and skinny posts well, but he drops balls at times."

Some critics will point out the fact that Heyward-Bey's college numbers lag behind those of his fellow first-round receivers. In his three seasons at Maryland, he never surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving, topping out at 786 yards in '07. By comparison, Crabtree, Maclin, and Britt all posted multiple 1,000-yard seasons.

However, the numbers don't tell the whole story of Heyward-Bey's college production. Maryland's offense prominently featured the running game, whereas the spread offenses that Crabtree and Maclin played in at Texas Tech and Missouri, respectively, treated the ground game as a change-up, not a staple of the offense. Over Heyward-Bey's three years at Maryland, the Terrapins averaged over 36 rushing attempts per game, including a whopping 40.9 attempts per game in '07.

In addition to Maryland's run-heavy offense, Heyward-Bey also caught balls from three different quarterbacks in three years, including a two-year QB shuffle between Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner. Still, Heyward-Bey was able to produce solid, if not spectacular, numbers every year, and Friedgen said he never complained once about wanting more balls thrown his way.

"I think he's going to be able to play wide receiver no matter who the quarterback is," Friedgen said. "He is more into team accomplishments than individual accomplishments, which is what I love about him."

One thing that the critics can't dispute is Heyward-Bey's work ethic. Friedgen and scouts alike rave about his dedication to improving his game.

"He's got a great work ethic, with great character, with great speed and size, and (he is) a guy that can get better," Friedgen said. "I think the Raiders decided with that combination he was worth a high draft pick, and somebody they could build [around] for many, many years."

Heyward-Bey's work ethic doesn't come as a surprise, given the type of NFL player he admires.

"Jerry Rice is my favorite player of all time because of his work ethic," Heyward-Bey said. "If I take Jerry Rice's work ethic and apply it to (the skills) I have, the sky is the limit (for) me."

If Heyward-Bey does put all of his immense talent together, don't expect him to morph into a receiver desperate for the ball on every play. Just as he did at Maryland, Heyward-Bey doesn't worry about individual accomplishments as long as the team is winning.

"I understand what football is," Heyward-Bey said. "It's not a one-man show. You (have) 11 guys on the field, and you need all 11 guys to do their job to win the game. I could go in there and catch two balls and (if we) win the game, I'm happy. I catch no balls and we win in the game, I'm happy."

Heyward-Bey still has a long road ahead of him to be on the same level as his favorite players: Rice, Terrell Owens and Andre Johnson. However, he clearly has the talent and ability to make all of his critics look foolish.

"I know this," Friedgen said. "He hasn't even come close to reaching his potential yet, and I think because of his work ethic and because of the type of kid he is, he'll improve quite a bit while he is in the NFL."

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.