Just Blog Baby
FanSided

Countdown to 2020: Best Raiders player to wear No. 48 all-time

By Brad Weiss

25 Nov 1990: Wide receiver Stephone Paige of the Kansas City Chiefs (left) runs with the ball as Los Angeles Raiders defensive back Lionel Washington attempts to tackle him during a game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Chiefs won the game,
25 Nov 1990: Wide receiver Stephone Paige of the Kansas City Chiefs (left) runs with the ball as Los Angeles Raiders defensive back Lionel Washington attempts to tackle him during a game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Chiefs won the game, /
facebooktwitterreddit

With 48 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. 48.

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. 48.

Throughout team history, there has not been many players to wear this jersey number in a regular season game, as the list stands at eight. One player who wore the number from 1968 through the 1974 season was Nemiah Wilson, a starter for the Raiders at cornerback who finished his Raiders career with 19 interceptions.

Currently, long snapper Liam McCullough wears the No. 48, though he is going to have a hard time making the team in 2020. The Raiders are set at the position with Trent Sieg, and at this point, McCullough appears to just be a camp body.

With that said, let us take a look at the best Raider in team history to wear the No. 48.

Lionel Washington (1987-1994, 1997)

Lionel Washington was a fourth round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals way back in 1983, joining the team from Tulane University. Washington played his first four season with the Cardinals before landing in Los Angeles, and he would have a pretty solid career in the Silver and Black.

Coming to the Raiders starting with the 1987 NFL season, Washington became a full-time starter for the team in 1989, and would go on to start all but one game over the next five seasons. In 1991, Washington had his best season with the team, hauling in five interceptions, and posting a career-high 72 tackles.

Next. Las Vegas Raiders: 5 best defensive tackles taken in the NFL Draft. dark

After a stint with the Denver Broncos, Washington returned to the then-Oakland Raiders, playing out the final year of his career in the Silver and Black. Washington would return to the organization as a defensive backs coach in 2009, and is currently both the defensive coordinator and cornerback coach of the Southern Jaguars football team.

Home/Raiders All-Time Lists