Las Vegas Raiders: 10 best wide receivers taken in the NFL Draft

By Matt Holder | Apr 7, 2020

Oakland Raiders' wide-receiver Tim Brown (C) is greeted by teammates after catching his 1,000th career reception from a pass by Raiders' quarterback Rich Gannon against the New York Jets' during the third quarter, 02 December 2002, in Oakland, California. AFP PHOTO/Monica M. DAVEY (Photo by MONICA DAVEY / AFP) (Photo credit should read MONICA DAVEY/AFP via Getty Images) /

9 of 11

CliffBranch Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images /

3. Cliff Branch

1972 / Round 4 / Pick 98

Arguably, the biggest snub for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is Cliff Branch. Every year on selection day Raider Nation gets their hopes up that he’ll get the call, but the phone never rings and everyone is disappointed. Apparently, his three Super Bowl rings, four Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections aren’t enough for the voters.

While Branch may not get the recognition he deserves from the league, he’s widely considered one of the best Raiders of all time. He ranks third in franchise history for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns with 501; 8,685; and 67, and that’s just the regular season. The University of Colorado alum added 73 catches for 1,289 yards and five touchdowns in 20 postseason contests, and he held the NFL record for career playoff receptions and yards until Jerry Rice broke both marks.

The speed demon is one of the few people to be involved in every Super Bowl victory for the organization and was well worth the fourth-round pick. Hopefully, someday he’ll get the nod and be awarded a posthumous gold jacket.

Home/Raiders All-Time Lists