The Oakland Raiders hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and they have hit it big with that draft slot before.
In April, the Oakland Raiders will have three first round picks, with their first selection coming at No. 4 overall. Picking at No. 4 has brought the team some great players in the past, and the hope is that new general manager Mike Mayock, and head coach Jon Gruden can make the right decision with the pick once again.
Throughout the history of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders franchise, the organization has held the No. 4 overall pick four times. The first time came way back in 1961, the team’s second draft, and they rolled the dice on a player who ended up playing for another franchise for his entire career.
1961: Joe Rutgens
Joe Rutgens was the Raiders No. 4 selection in the 1961 AFL Draft, after starring as a defensive tackle for the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, the Washington Redskins also drafted Rutgens in the first round that year, but in the NFL Draft, and he decided that he would rather play for them.
Rutgens ended up going to a couple of Pro Bowls as a member of the Redskins, playing his entire career with the team. In ten seasons, Rutgens played in 110 games for Washington, and while sacks were not an official stat back then, he certainly made his mark on the Redskins franchise.
1998: Charles Woodson
Arguably the best first round pick in team history, Charles Woodson came to the Raiders fresh off a Heisman Trophy winning season for the Michigan Wolverines. In his first four seasons in the Silver and Black, Woodson went to four Pro Bowls, and was the 1998 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
One of the best overall players in team history, Woodson won his only Super Bowl as a member of the Green Bay Packers, but came back to Oakland to finish out his career. He actually finished out his career in a big way, making the Pro Bowl in his final season, and leading the Raiders to an emotional victory in his last game inside the Coliseum.
2008: Darren McFadden
Coming to the Raiders by way of the University of Arkansas, Darren McFadden was a popular pick of the team when they selected him at No. 4 in the 2008 NFL Draft. A bruising running back for the Razorbacks, McFadden had his share of memorable moments with the Raiders, but never became the back most figured he would be.
At Arkansas, McFadden won two Doak Walker Awards, and came into the NFL projected to be a perennial 1,000-yard back. Unfortunately, injuries really derailed his career in the Silver and Black, and his best season came in 2010, when he ran for over 1,100 yards in only 13 games. If only he could have stayed healthy.
2015: Amari Cooper
The most recent No. 4 overall pick for the Oakland Raiders, Amari Cooper burst onto the scene his first two seasons in the NFL, going for over 1,000 yards in each campaign. A two-time Pro Bowler, Cooper was supposed to be the team’s franchise wide receiver for the next five seasons at least, but instead was traded at the trade deadline this past season.
Still, Cooper played a big role in the team’s best season since 2002, as he hauled in 83 passes for 1,153 yards and five touchdowns during the Raiders 12-4 2016 campaign. While his time with the team was short, he is still one of the top-15 players in team history in terms of receiving yards, which is pretty impressive considering he only spent three and half years in the Silver and Black.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Raiders will actually stay in the No. 4 spot this April, as they could trade down if guys like Nick Bosa and Josh Allen are already gone. This is a team with a lot of holes to fix on the roster, but getting an elite player at No. 4 has helped this franchise in the past, and could do so again.