Top five 1st round draft picks in Raiders history
By Gagan Aujla
#1 – Gene Upshaw
Fun Draft Fact: the last interior OL the @RAIDERS selected in the first round of the draft was Gene Upshaw in 1967 out of Texas A&I. pic.twitter.com/xJNagBVbtr
— Eddie Paskal (@EddiePaskal) April 25, 2017
The player that tops the list for the best first round pick in Raiders history is none other than the late great Gene Upshaw. As the 17th pick in the 1967 NFL Draft, there is no player in Raiders history like Gene, who was not only one of the best at his position, but he was the face of the Raiders in their heyday, which was the 70’s.
Upshaw played his entire career in Silver and Black, which spanned three decades — 1967 to 1981. Upshaw is the only player in NFL history to play in three Super Bowls in three different decades.
“Uptown Gene” was a two-time Super Bowl champion (XI, XV, he was named to the Pro Bowl six times, a first-team All-Pro three times and a second-team All-Pro four times. He was also a first-team All-AFL player prior to the merger, a member of the NFL’s 1970’s All-Decade team and the 75th Anniversary all-time team.
Upshaw’s long list of accomplishments is both impressive and impeccable. The high regard in which he is held among both Raider Nation and the NFL is quite remarkable. Off the field, he was a leader for the NFL Player’s Union off the field.
After his death in 2008, all 32 NFL teams more a “GU’ patch in his honor, saluting his contributions to the game. Upshaw was a giant in football on and off the field, and he tops the list as the best first round pick in franchise history.