5 Most disappointing Raiders players of the past 20 years
5 Most disappointing Raiders of the past 20 years
3. Robert Gallery
The craziest part about the Raiders selecting offensive tackle Robert Gallery second overall in the 2004 NFL Draft was that it seemed like the safest pick they could’ve made at the time. Gallery was a tackle out of Iowa, and the consensus number one player at his position. The Raiders were bringing him in to be the cornerstone of their offensive line for the next decade plus.
Gallery actually played really well his first two years in the league. His rookie season he started 15 games and only gave up three total sacks. His sophomore season he started all 16 games and gave up 3.5 total sacks.
How his career would unfold from there is where things started to unravel.
He was moved over to left tackle from right tackle and struggled instantly. That season, he ended up giving up 10.5 sacks in ten games after only surrendering 6.5 in 31 games the two years prior. After that horrendous season, he was moved to left guard and had four more average years for the Raiders.
One of the biggest reasons he falls as a disappointment is that after being drafted No. 2 overall to be the franchise’s answer at tackle, he never once made the Pro Bowl, and played more seasons at guard for the Raiders. To top it all off, the next three players selected after him were Larry Fitzgerald, Phillip Rivers, and Sean Taylor. Just six more selections after that Ben Roethlisberger was taken by the Steelers at 11th overall as well.