New York ? No one appreciates the majesty of the big-bodied, big-play receiver like Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.

He’s the godfather of the vertical stretch offense and remains its chief practitioner. He knows those speedy, powerful locomotives on the flank make a downfield passing game go – and he’s been collecting them for decades.

Now along comes Calvin Johnson, the biggest and fastest big-play receiver Davis has ever seen. And he’s there for the taking. The Raiders have the first overall selection of the 2007 NFL Draft today – and Johnson is the top-rated player on the board.

Davis has been a huge part of the NFL’s history, first as a coach, then a commissioner and finally a team owner. But if he understands his football history, he knows he cannot select Johnson with that first pick.

Davis must select LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Davis is a football man and that’s the smart football decision.

Johnson is indeed a phenom. He’s 6-foot-5, 239 pounds and runs a 4.35 40-yard dash. College defenders couldn’t cover him and NFL corners will struggle as well. The NFL has never seen a wide receiver with this size/speed package. But how much better can Johnson make the worst team in the NFL?

As productive as Johnson was last season – catching 76 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns – Georgia Tech was an afterthought nationally. The Yellow Jackets finished 91st in the NCAA in passing and unranked in the final poll with a 9-5 record.

How much better can any wide receiver make any NFL team?

Twice in the last 40 years a wide receiver has gone first overall in an NFL Draft – Irving Fryar in 1984 and Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.

Without Fryar in 1983, the New England Patriots finished 8-8. With him in 1984, they finished 9-7. Fryar made the Patriots one game better. Without Johnson in 1995, the New York Jets finished 3-13. With him in 1996, they finished 1-15. That’s right – they were two games worse with Johnson than without the first overall pick of the 1996 draft.

When a franchise quarterback is on the draft board, you take him. That’s Football 101. He gives your team hope for the future – and a chance to be competitive in the present.

The Tennessee Titans were the youngest team in the NFL in 2006. They took Vince Young with the third overall pick of the draft and doubled their win total in the span of a season, improving from 4-12 without Young in 2005 to 8-8 with him.

Young gives the Titans hope for a bright future. Just as Russell would give the Raiders hope. Quarterback is the one position that can transform a team into a Super Bowl contender.

Rich Gannon was the NFL MVP in 2002 when the Raiders won the AFC championship and appeared in their last Super Bowl. But a shoulder injury ended his 2003 season, then a neck injury ended his career in 2004.

The Raiders have started six quarterbacks since that Super Bowl and have won 15 of 64 games. Until Davis can stabilize his quarterback position, he cannot stabilize his franchise.

That’s why Davis must resist the temptation to draft Calvin Johnson and select Russell.

The Raiders can still get a quality receiver at the top of the second round and even at the top of the third. But the only place to find a physical specimen such as Russell at the quarterback position is at the top of a draft board.

Drafting Johnson would give Davis the chance to have a good team. Drafting Russell would give Davis the chance to have a great team.

It’s his choice.