updated 8:49 p.m. ET April 28, 2007

ALAMEDA, Calif. - The debate about the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft ended for Raiders coach Lane Kiffin as soon as he sat down and talked with JaMarcus Russell.

As impressed with Russell’s leadership as he was with his spectacular play at LSU, Kiffin chose Russell as the player to rebuild the Raiders around.

“There was no doubt in our mind this was the direction we wanted to go,” Kiffin said Saturday. “This is someone who’s coming in here to compete to play. We know from what we’ve seen on film and when we’ve met with him and all the research we’ve done, going back to when he was extremely young, that this is someone who can come in and help us win games.”

Russell was the choice over Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. He was the first quarterback the Raiders have taken in the first round since drafting Todd Marinovich with the 24th pick in 1991.

The Raiders had passed on Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler in recent years but felt Russell was too good to pass up. Kiffin said he’d compete for the starting job right away but put no timetable on when he expected Russell to win the job.

The competition got a little tougher later Saturday when the Raiders acquired quarterback Josh McCown and receiver Mike Williams from Detroit for a fourth-round pick Oakland got from Arizona earlier in the day.

McCown, who visited the Raiders as a free agent a year ago, made 22 starts with Arizona before backing up Jon Kitna with the Lions last season.

Walter, a third-round pick in 2005, completed just 53.3 percent of his passes and threw three touchdown passes. He also threw 13 interceptions, lost nine fumbles and was sacked 46 times.

“I just want to go in and be prepared to compete for the job first off,” Russell said. “It’s a great chance and opportunity for me to go out and try to prove myself and compete for the job. Whether it’s right now or I sit behind a guy and push him through practice for however long it takes, I’m just ready to go and compete.”

2007 NFL draft coverage Draft HQ: Round-by-round recap, analysis, more Picks by: Player  |  Team  |  Position  |  College Opinion: Raiders, Browns, Giants deliver No Raider doubts on Russell  |  Quinn’s freefall Opinion: Teams passed on players with ‘issues’ Lots of drama  |  Ravens take Heisman winner Lions take another WR  |  Miami fans unhappy Vote: Who will be best pro?  |  Trade rundown   Sound off on NFL message boards  |  MORE

Williams, who played for Kiffin in college at USC, struggled in two NFL seasons since being drafted by Detroit with the 10th pick in 2005. He has started only six games in Detroit, making 37 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns.

The Raiders are counting on a lot from Russell, whose impressive physical tools had scouts salivating. Russell stands 6-foot-6, 263 pounds, is mobile and can throw the ball 80 yards. Kiffin said Russell can make throws he’s only seen made on video games.

Russell went 25-4 and as LSU’s starting quarterback, capping his career by throwing for 332 yards and two TDs in a 41-14 Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame. While that game increased Russell’s prominence leading into the draft, it played only a little role in the Raiders’ choice to draft him.

“It seems like people really started to recognize that after the bowl game, when I’d been doing that all along,” Russell said.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures A Duck goes for a ride, a NASCAR driver takes flight, some bankers take to boxing, and much more. more photos

The biggest questions about Russell heading into the draft were about his work ethic and leadership skills, doubts Kiffin put to rest with his face-to-face meetings and watching how he interacted with his college teammates.

“The film made it great, made it real easy,” Kiffin said. “But it’s more than the film. He has to lead this offense, he has to lead this team. That’s what the quarterback does. ... When you went down to the pro day and you watched him work out and you watched the players around him before he worked out, and how they responded to him, it was very obvious that this guy is a natural leader.”

Oakland scored just 12 offensive touchdowns last season, allowed 72 sacks and scored just 168 points — the fifth fewest in a 16-game season.

The Raiders predictably targeted offensive players Saturday, also picking tight end Zach Miller out of Arizona State. Miller in the second round.

The team has made some improvements on the offense, signing running back Dominic Rhodes and offensive lineman Cooper Carlisle, Jeremy Newberry and Cornell Green, but there still is plenty of work needed to do.

MORE FROM NFL

NFL Section Front

Wildcat’s N.E. return just one Week 9 storyline PFT’s Picks: Saints, Eagles, Colts primed for key wins Eagles, Cowboys playing for first in NFC East PFT: Jerry Rice is a huge DeSean Jackson fan PFT: Browns seeking a ‘football czar’ PFT: Texans to start Moats at RB, not Slaton Fox’s NFL pregame show going to Afghanistan PFT: Underclassmen at NFL draft crossroads PFT: Broncos sign Ty Law to $200,000 signing bonus PFT: NFL wanted Chiefs to fine L.J. only $10K for slur NFL Section Front   Add NFL headlines to your news reader: