What if the Raiders did not draft Jamarcus Russell No. 1 overall
In 2007, the Oakland Raiders selected Jamarcus Russell with the first pick of the NFL draft. This pick would set the team back for years, as Russell became one the biggest busts in NFL history. Although the 2007 draft did not hold many successful quarterbacks, the Raiders could have selected a number of incredible players instead.
The Raiders could have added future Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson, explosive running back Adrian Peterson, cornerstone left tackle Joe Thomas, punishing linebacker Patrick Willis, or shutdown corner Darrelle Revis instead of Russell. They then could have added a quarterback in the first round in 2008.
The Raiders ended the 2008 season with the fourth pick of the NFL Draft, and had they not drafted Russell the year before, anything could have changed. Matt Ryan was selected with the third pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, so if the team could not have selected him, they likely could have ended up with Joe Flacco, which would have been a massive upgrade from Russell.
Instead, the Raiders selected Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden in 2007 and 2008, and the team would not have a winning record until 2016, as the Raiders would not find their franchise quarterback until 2014. Imagine a world where Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson wore the Silver and Black.