Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best draft-day steals of all-time

This draft pick is a little confusing, but because of how legendary Jim Otto is, he makes the list. Technically, Otto was drafted by the Minnesota franchise that was set to join the AFL, but they backed out and joined the NFL instead.

As a result, the Raiders were awarded Otto’s draft rights and boy, did the franchise luck out on that one. Perhaps Oakland would have selected Otto if given the chance? We will never know. Regardless, the Raiders owned his draft rights.

A center from Miami (Florida), Otto was a starter right away in the inaugural AFL season. He would maintain that role until he retired from football after the 1974 season. Otto spent all 15 seasons with the Raiders, sticking with the team through the AFL/NFL merger. Because of the merger, his career accolades are a little confusing, but they paint an immaculate picture of what kind of player he was.

Deep breath… 10-time First-team All-AFL, nine-time AFL All-Star, three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro, and an AFL Champion. Phew, get the idea? Otto was a terrific player and his famous double zero number resides in Canton, Ohio. A first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, Otto was elected in 1980.

Draft-day steal here can be construed a little bit, but the fact of the matter is Otto is one of the most legendary names in football history, not just Raiders’ lore. A Raider legend, Otto falls just outside the top-5 here, but not because of anything he could control.