NEW YORK — If Michael Crabtree needed a spark to start his NFL career, he got it when he slipped to the San Francisco 49ers 10th overall Saturday after being projected as a top-five pick.

The Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top wide receiver each of the two years he played at Texas Tech, Crabtree watched with family and friends as nine players went before him.

First, he fell out of the top five. Then he saw another wideout taken when the Oakland Raiders surprised many by choosing Darrius Heyward-Bey, a burner from Maryland but a much less accomplished receiver than he is.

"I still feel like I'm the top receiver," Crabtree said. "I don't really pay attention to what everybody else does."

His father, Michael, was more outspoken. He said bluntly of the Raiders' decision: "It's their loss."

Michael compared his son's situation to that of running back Adrian Peterson, who enjoyed a record-setting career at Oklahoma but inexplicably dropped to seventh overall to the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. He went on to be the rookie of the year. "(Peterson) proved them wrong," the father said. "It's Michael's time to prove them wrong."

The Raiders' selection almost surely boiled down to owner Al Davis' life-long need for speed. Heyward-Bey, 6-2, 210, clocked a blistering 4.23 in the 40-yard dash in 2006 preseason drills at Maryland.

NFL teams were frustrated by their inability to get a precise reading on Crabtree's speed. The 6-2, 215-pounder was found to have a stress fracture in his left foot at the scouting combine in February. The injury was surgically repaired March 4. He has been cleared to run and is expected back at full strength by the start of training camp.

San Francisco coach Mike Singletary said of Crabtree, "The speed is obviously a question for a lot of different people. Obviously, not for us. I think when you look at the film, you see a guy who has a different speed. I just know when he catches the ball there's separation there. I know he's a physical guy. ... So (we're) very excited about all of the upside that he has."

Crabtree's production at Texas Tech dwarfed that of Heyward-Bey. After redshirting as a freshman, Crabtree finished with 231 catches, 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns in 26 games. Heyward-Bey made 138 receptions for 2,089 yards and 13 scores in 38 games for the Terrapins.

Singletary said of Crabtree's availability: "We had no idea he would be there at 10. It was one of the last scenarios we thought we'd end up with."

Crabtree vowed to use the day's events to add fuel to his fire. "I keep all of that in mind," he said. "Like I said, I feel I'm in a situation where someone wants me and needs me. And I can't wait to put this red, black and gold on."