Countdown to 2020: Best Raiders player to wear No. 78 all-time

SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Defensive end Keith DeLong #82 of the San Diego Chargers fights off a block by tackle Art Shell #78 of the Oakland Raiders and tries to defend a pass by quarterback Daryle Lamonica #3 at San Diego Stadium on September 27, 1970 in San Diego, California. The Chargers and Raiders tied 27-27. (Photo by Charles Aqua Viva/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Defensive end Keith DeLong #82 of the San Diego Chargers fights off a block by tackle Art Shell #78 of the Oakland Raiders and tries to defend a pass by quarterback Daryle Lamonica #3 at San Diego Stadium on September 27, 1970 in San Diego, California. The Chargers and Raiders tied 27-27. (Photo by Charles Aqua Viva/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 2
Next
Raiders DT JustinEllis (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Raiders DT JustinEllis (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

With 78 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. 78.

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. 78.

The 2014 Oakland Raiders draft class produced some incredible talent, including first round pick Khalil Mack, who would go on to be an NFL Defensive Player of the Year wearing the Silver and Black. Derek Carr was selected in the second round, and has rewrote the Raiders record book in terms of passing categories.

In the fourth round, with the No. 107 overall pick, the Raiders selected defensive tackle Justin Ellis, and he was supposed to be a long-term solution at the position. He played a ton before Jon Gruden arrived, but then injuries mounted, and with the team drafting guys like P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst, the decision was made to release him.

Ellis had some good moments wearing No. 78 for the Raiders, but like some other numbers in team history, the best Raiders player to wear that number was a no-brainer.