Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best first-round picks all-time
By John Buhler
player. 28. . Punter. Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 1973. Ray Guy. 5
Best first-round draft picks in Raiders history: 5. Ray Guy
We’ve already touched on Sebastian Janikowski and what he’s done for the Raiders kicking game as a former first-rounder coming out of Florida State. Now, let’s talk about one of the most impactful special teams player in NFL history: Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Guy.
The Raiders used the No. 23 overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft to draft the All-American punter Guy out of Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. Guy play his entire 14-year NFL career with the Raiders. He was a prominent part of all three Super Bowl Championship teams in franchise history. Guy was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro.
His best contribution to the game of football was the development of the stat known as hang time. Guy would boom punts way up in the air that would prevent the receiving team from being able to return kicks. Let’s not forget at how skilled he was a pinning the opposition deep in their own side of the field.
In a game of field position battle, Guy had more of an impact on the special teams component than anybody before him or since. The best punter in major college football wins the Ray Guy Award in his honor. Simply put, Guy actually won games for the Raiders in the 1970s and 1980s with his booming kicks.