Oakland Raiders 2019 season jersey countdown: No. 98

There are 98 days until the start of the 2019 NFL season for the Oakland Raiders, and we take a look at those players who wore No. 98 in the Silver and Black.

The Oakland Raiders now officially have less than 100 days before kicking off their 2019 season, where they will look to become a contender in the AFC West. The combination of Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden brought in a ton of talent this offseason, and with 98 days left before Week 1, we continue our jersey number countdown.

We continue our countdown with jersey No. 98.

Who wears No. 98 now?

During the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders decided to continue to bolster their defensive end position, after selecting Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in round one. The pick in the fourth round was Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby, who will don the No. 98 for the 2019 season, and beyond.

During his time at Eastern Michigan, Crosby established himself as a high-motor guy, and someone who is solid at getting after the quarterback. He has a legitimate opportunity to start as a rookie this season, if the Raiders decide it is best to move Arden Key into a situational pass rusher, which is what he was drafted to do.

Who wore No. 98 in the past?

Mitch Willis (1985-1988)

The first player to wear the No. 98 for the Raiders franchise was Mitch Willis, the team’s seventh round selection out of Southern Methodist in the 1985 NFL Draft. Willis would be a reserve player for the Raiders during his three-plus seasons with the team, before heading to Atlanta to finish out his career with the Falcons.

Ricky Hunley (1989-1990)

A first round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals during the 1987 NFL Draft, Ricky Hunley made the Raiders the third stop of his NFL career during the 1989 season. Playing as a reserve linebacker, Hunley made only one start in the Silver and Black, and ended his career after the 1990 season as a member of the team.

Kevin Johnson (1997)

Kevin Johnson played only one season in the Silver and Black, appearing in 15 games in what would be his last NFL season. He did end up going to the Arena League after his time with the Raiders, winning a championship as a member of the Orlando Predators.

Chuck Osborne (1998-1999)

Chuck Osborne was a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams back in 1996, though he spent two of his three seasons in the NFL as a member of the Raiders. His final season was in 1999, where he appeared in all 16 games for the team. He died young at the age of 38.

Darren Mickell (2001)

Darren Mickell had a long NFL career, one that spanned a decade, and saw him make stops with three of the four AFC West teams. After starting out in Kansas City, Mickell played for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, before ending his career in a one-year stint with the Raiders. He appeared in only one game.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (2003)

Though he went undrafted out of San Diego State, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was able to get a chance with the Oakland Raiders, making the team out of training camp, and wore No. 98 as a rookie. He spent two years with the team, splitting time between defensive end and linebacker, but injuries ended his tenure in Oakland. He is current an analyst on the NFL Network, and is a co-host for American Ninja Warrior.

Bobby Hamilton (2004-2005)

Undrafted out of Southern Mississippi, Bobby Hamilton bounced around the NFL for 12 seasons, winning two Super Bowls as a member of the New England Patriots. In his two-year stint in Oakland, Hamilton appeared in 30 of the team’s 32 games, making 28 starts, while racking up three sacks.

Jay Richardson (2007-2009)

A fifth round pick of the Oakland Raiders during the 2007 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Jay Richardson would go to spend three seasons with the team. During that time, Richardson started 22 games over his first two seasons, before becoming a role player in 2009. He finished up his career with stops in Seattle and New Orleans.

Vance Walker (2013)

The Atlanta Falcons made Vance Walker a seventh-round pick during the 2009 NFL Draft, and he spent four years with the team before becoming a starter along the defensive line for the Oakland Raiders in 2013. Starting 15 games, Walker set a career-high with 40 tackles for the Silver and Black, while getting to the quarterback three times. He won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in 2015.

C.J. Wilson (2014-2015)

Defensive End C.J. Wilson spent one-and-a-half seasons with the Oakland Raiders, coming to the team after a four-year stint with the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl. For Oakland, Wilson was a part-time starter, starting eight of his 20 games with the team, before being waived by the team in early November of the 2015 season.

Branden Jackson (2016)

The Oakland Raiders signed Branden Jackson as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech, and after being released in September of 2016, he was signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster late in the season, appearing in three games, but was released the following September.

Frostee Rucker (2018)

A product of USC, Frostee Rucker came to the Raiders for the 2018 NFL season, and boy was he needed after the team traded away Khalil Mack, and Bruce Irvin was terrible. Rucker ended up starting 15 games for the Raiders, becoming one of their more consistent pieces on defense, but was not brought back for a second season, and is currently a free agent.