The Oakland Raiders have been drafting players since 1960. Here's a look at the best draft picks by position for the Raiders:
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Ken Stabler, second round, 1968, Alabama. "Snake" epitomized the hard-partying, hard-playing Raiders of the 1970s, reading the playbook by the light of a jukebox in random bars. Stabler remains the franchise's all-time leading passer in yards (19,078) and touchdown passes (150), and he led the Raiders to five straight AFC title games from 1973 through 1977, winning Super Bowl XI. Stabler was the 1974 NFL MVP but did not gain induction to Canton until 2016, after he passed away from cancer the previous summer. His feud with Al Davis was settled before both men passed away.
Running back: Marcus Allen, first round, 1982, USC. Half of the Raiders' draft room wanted Allen; the other half wanted Barry Redden. Sanity prevailed, as Davis gave his blessing on the pick from a phone booth in Los Angeles, where the Raiders owner was in court. No Raider represented the team’s star-crossed sojourn to SoCal like Allen, who was rookie of the year, Super Bowl XVIII MVP and NFL MVP in his first four seasons before a nasty feud with Davis. Allen, who spent the last five seasons of his career with the Chiefs and went into Canton in 2003, still holds Raiders rushing records for career yards (8,545), single-season yards (1,759) and career rushing touchdowns (79).
Wide receiver: Tim Brown, first round, 1988, Notre Dame. "Mr. Raider" gets the nod here over fellow Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, who won a Super Bowl, due to Brown's also being a Pro Bowl kick and punt returner early in his career. When Brown retired following the 2004 season, he was third in NFL history in catches (1,094) and second in receiving yards (14,934). The nine-time Pro Bowler had 19,443 combined net yards with the Raiders. Brown went into the Hall in 2015.
Tight end: Dave Casper, second round, 1974, Notre Dame. Bob Moore was already on the roster, and Jack Lambert was still on the board when the Raiders made their selection. Oakland did not look back. "Ghost" helped redefine the position, as the second-team All-America offensive tackle combined physical blocking with soft hands. Casper, a four-time All-Pro who went into Canton in 2002, helped author the "Ghost to the Post" over-the-shoulder grab in a playoff win at the Colts in 1977 and recovered the "Holy Roller" in the end zone against the Chargers in 1978.
Tackle: Art Shell, third round, 1968, Maryland State. Davis referred to the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Shell as "our giant" after he was drafted to solidify the left side of the Raiders' massive offensive line. Shell carved out a Hall of Fame career protecting the blind sides of Daryle Lamonica, George Blanda and Jim Plunkett, as well as Stabler's front. In 1989, the year he was inducted into Canton, Shell became the first African-American head coach in modern NFL history, with the Raiders.
Guard: Gene Upshaw, first round, 1967, Texas A&I. Davis wanted Upshaw, and Ron Wolf wanted Arkansas halfback Harry Jones. Guess who won? The Raiders, who needed someone to battle the Chiefs' massive Buck Buchanan on the interior. Upshaw played 15 seasons with the Raiders and became the first player in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl in three different decades (Super Bowls II in 1968, XI in 1977 and XV in 1981). Upshaw, who became executive director of the NFLPA, was enshrined in Canton in 1987.
Center: Jim Otto, second round, 1960, Miami. "Pops" started a franchise-record 210 straight games (223 including playoffs) from 1960 through 1974, and that took its toll, as Otto said he had endured 74 surgeries, including the amputation of his right leg above the knee, through 2013. A 10-time All-Pro who went into the Hall of Fame in 1980, Otto was the center on the all-time AFL team, and many suggest that his face should be the Raiders' logo, "but with a broken nose," he said with a laugh.
DEFENSE
End: Khalil Mack, first round, 2014, Buffalo. Too soon? Mack, who also plays outside linebacker, is the first player in NFL history named first-team All-Pro at both positions in the same season, and as such, a new category had to be added to the All-Pro teams: edge rusher. He was the 2016 NFL defensive player of the year, despite the fact that, as Howie Long told me, Mack is a six-story building, and his elevator is only on the third floor. That means he is just scratching the surface of his potential.
Tackle: Howie Long, second round, 1981, Villanova. Yes, I realize Long is usually identified as a defensive end, but his well-rounded game allowed him to play and dominate on the interior as well. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler on the D-line, and -- get this -- the day Long was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, Davis tried to get him to come out of retirement for one last ride. Long, a member of the NFL's all-decade team of the 1980s, was oh-so-tempted.
Linebacker: Rod Martin, 12th round, 1977, USC. Being drafted so low and getting so much production out of the spot vaults Martin over the likes of Phil Villapiano and Matt Millen, second-rounders in 1971 and 1980, respectively. Martin was a two-time Pro Bowler, and as many would tell you, he coulda, woulda, shoulda been at least co-MVP of Super Bowl XV with Plunkett, thanks to his three interceptions of Ron Jaworski.
Cornerback: Lester Hayes, fifth round, 1977, Texas A&M. "The Judge" was a linebacker who made the transition to safety in college and switched to cornerback in Oakland. He had 13 interceptions in 1980, with four more called back due to penalties, then added five picks in the playoffs. Hayes is a five-time Pro Bowler, the 1980 NFL defensive player of the year and a two-time Super Bowl champ, and his 39 career picks tie him with Willie Brown for most in franchise history.
Safety: Charles Woodson, first round, 1998, Michigan. Yes, C-Wood was drafted as a cornerback, and though he had Hall of Fame talent in his first tour with Oakland (1998-2005), he became a Hall of Fame player with the Green Bay Packers (2006-2012). He became a Raiders legend, so to speak, as a safety in his second Oakland tour (2013-15). Canton will come calling soon enough, with 27 of Woodson's 65 career INTs coming with the Raiders, for whom he was a five-time Pro Bowler.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Sebastian Janikowski, first round, 2000, Florida State. Then-coach Jon Gruden wanted to draft either running back Shaun Alexander or receiver Sylvester Morris with the No. 17 pick. Davis wanted the Wild Child kicker known as SeaBass, so, of course, Janikowski became just the fifth kicker ever drafted in the first round. Seventeen years later, a more mellow Janikowski is the franchise's all-time leading scorer (1,799 points) and leader in games played (268). He also has a 63-yard field goal (second-longest in NFL history) and has kicked an NFL-record 55 field goals of at least 50 yards.
Punter: Ray Guy, first round, 1973, Southern Mississippi. Guy was the first punter selected in the first round of the draft, and in 2014, he became the first pure punter selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Guy, who hit the hanging scoreboard at the Superdome, brought "hang time" into vogue, as well as directional punting. A six-time All-Pro, Guy was the NFL's punter on the all-decade team for the 1970s and is one of six Raiders to play on all three Super Bowl title teams.