Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best first-round picks all-time
By John Buhler
player. 28. . Offensive Guard. Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, 1967. Gene Upshaw. 1
Best first-round draft picks in Raiders history: 1. Gene Upshaw
This one was tough, but the greatest first-round pick in Raiders history was also one of their boldest picks. Back in 1967, the Raiders used its No. 17 overall pick in the AFL Draft to draft a tackle from Texas A&M-Kingsville to better their football team. It was a small school, but owner Al Davis had big plans for this offensive lineman.
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Instead of having him play on the outside, Davis opted to start Upshaw as an oversized left guard. Upshaw became one of the most ferocious interior lineman in NFL history.
His lead blocks on pulls have become stuff of legend. It just didn’t seem fair to have that type of athlete as a pulling guard.
Upshaw would make seven Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams and win two Super Bowls with the Raiders. He would retire after the 1981 season.
Upshaw played a staggering 217 games in his Raiders career, amassing 207 starts almost exclusively at left guard.
He would be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he was eligible in 1987. Upshaw would go on to serve as the executive director of the NFLPA shortly after retirement until his death in 2008 from pancreatic cancer at age 63.
Honorable Mentions: Chester McGlockton, Napoleon Kaufman, Darrell Russell, Darren McFadden
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