With 84 days until the opening game of 2020, we start the count down with the best Raiders player at every jersey number. Today we focus on No. 84.
With the season a few months away, we take a look at the best player to wear the jersey number of the number of days left before the opener on September 13, 2020 against the Carolina Panthers. That game will kick off the new era of Raiders football.
We continue our series with No. 84.
In recent memory, the No. 84 brings shivers down Raiders fans backs, as Antonio Brown was supposed to come in and be the No. 1 weapon for quarterback Derek Carr. Instead, Brown became a joke with the Silver and Black, and never played a single snap for the franchise.
From 2000 through 2007, there was another wide receiver who donned the No. 84, but this one actually had some good seasons with the team. Jerry Porter made 62 starts for the team, hauled in 30 touchdowns, and in 2004 and 2005, nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark.
Like Porter, our top guy to wear No. 84 also played the wide receiver position, but this one was one of the best to ever do it in a Raiders uniform.
Art Powell (1963-1966)
In 1962, Art Powell racked up over 1,100 yards receiving for the New York Titans, but due to financial stresses on the team, they could not afford to keep him under contract. Luckily for the Raiders, they would end up landing Powell, and in his four seasons with the team, he would terrorize AFL defenses.
In fact, when we listed our top wideouts in team history a few years back, Powell came in at No. 4 overall, thanks to his exploits during his time in Oakland. Powell had back-to-back 1,300-yard seasons for the Raiders in 1963 and 1964, becoming a favorite target of quarterback Tom Flores.
Powell was an AFL All-Star in all four seasons he wore the Raiders uniform, and in 1963, he was First Team All-AFL, as he hauled in 16 touchdowns. Powell was that rare blend of size, speed, and hands that would have made him a superstar no matter what era he played in.
After the 1966 season, Powell asked to be traded to the Buffalo Bills, and team owner Al Davis agreed to do so. Still, he ranks No. 5 overall in team history in receiving yards with 4,491, and fourth in receiving touchdowns with 50, which is incredible considering he only spent four years with the organization.