4. Robert Gallery, OL, 2nd overall in 2004
Robert Gallery was supposed to be as sure a pick as the Raiders have ever made. The former Iowa Hawkeye was a Unanimous All-American, won the Outland Trophy for best offensive lineman in college, and was voted the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year all in the 2003 season. He was given a perfect 9.0 Draft Prospect Rating ahead of the draft and was predicted to be the anchor of the Raiders offensive line for the next decade.
Rather than establishing himself as a generational player, Gallery was shifted all along the offensive line from right tackle to left tackle and finally settled at left guard. In seven years with the Raiders, Gallery started 91 games and was a fixture for nearly a decade on some really bad teams. By all accounts Gallery was a decent lineman when he settled in to his position at left guard but that’s not what the Raiders spent the second overall pick on him for.
Gallery had a longer career than many of the names on this list and his placement here is based more on factors out his control. The simple fact is that Gallery was just not good enough for his draft position and the players the Raiders could have had instead of him, a theme you’ll see repeated here, really hurts his cause. The Raiders could be forgiven for not selecting a QB as they had just given Kerry Collins a three-year deal but legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald and All-Pro safety Sean Taylor were selected in the next three picks.
It is a credit to Robert Gallery that he spent eight seasons in the NFL as that is no easy feat but his career was more fitting for a player taken on day 2 or 3 of the draft, not someone picked in the top five.