Top five 1st round draft picks in Raiders history

With plenty of Hall of Famers (and future Hall of Famers) to choose from, here are the top five first round draft picks in the history of the Oakland Raiders.

Throughout the 57-year history of the Oakland Raiders, the fans have been blessed to cheer for a team that carries such a rich and prestigious tradition. A long list of players have made significant impacts on the team, whether they were a first round pick, a free agent, or a player that the team traded for.

In particular, the NFL Draft has turned into quite the spectacle, and is one of the biggest events in the sporting world. Most die-hard Raiders fans love watching all seven rounds of the draft, while plenty of others prefer just to know who the first round pick will be.

To be fair, there are very few things that come close to the excitement of the first round of the NFL Draft. Marquee college players hope to continue their success in the NFL, and a great pick can save a franchise while an awful pick can ruin one. Raider Nation knows both sides well.

Let’s focus on the positive. There have been five particular players who have not only dawned the Silver and Black with honor, but have lived up to the hype (and then some) as a first round draft pick.

Here are the top five first round draft picks in the history of the Raiders.

#5 – Khalil Mack

Coming in at no. 5, we have defensive end/linebacker extraordinaire Khalil Mack, who was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Out of the small college of Buffalo, Mack was an athletic freak who faced low level competition, but proved he belonged with a dominant showing against Ohio State.

Even though Mack’s inclusion on this list might seem premature seeing as he has only completed three full seasons in the NFL, he has already shown enough ability to be compared to some of the game’s all-time greats, such as Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Thomas.

In Mack’s three seasons, he’s registered 225 tackles, 30 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and an interception returned for a touchdown. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl twice, and was also honored as a first-team All-Pro twice. Not only that, but he became the first player in NFL history to be named an All-Pro at two different positions in the same seasons.

Case in point, Mack has been a terror for opposing offensive lineman and coordinators alike since entering the league in 2014. He’s morphed into an elite pass rusher and a dominant force in the run game, and somehow, it still feels like he can be so much better.

In 2016, Mack’s performance earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the first Raiders player to do so since Lester Hayes in 1980. He also jumped into the top ten in sacks in team history, so he’s already knocking on the door of some of the record books despite being so early in his career.

If Mack adds just another 10 sacks in 2017, he’ll already be in fifth place on the franchise’s all-time sack list. Considering he is still just 26 years old, the sky is the limit for Khalil Mack.