Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best first-round picks all-time
By John Buhler
player. 28. . Tight End. Morgan State Bears, 1970. Raymond Chester. 14
Best first-round draft picks in Raiders history: 14. Raymond Chester
One could argue that had tight end Raymond Chester spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Raiders, he might be in Canton by now. The Raiders drafted Chester out of Morgan State University with the No. 24 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. He would have his best seasons in the Silver and Black.
Right out of the gate, Chester made the Pro Bowl in his first three years in the league. He was on pace to be one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history with 104 receptions for 1,574 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Before the 1973 NFL season, Raiders owner Al Davis would trade Chester to his hometown Baltimore Colts. Chester would play the next five seasons in Baltimore, but did not achieve Pro Bowl status while he was with the Colts.
Fate would have it that Chester would come back to Oakland in 1979 via a trade with the Colts and would go on to have his best season of this NFL career. Chester had 58 catches for 712 yards and eight touchdowns.
He would be a part of the Super Bowl team in Oakland in 1980. He would retire after the 1981 season before the move to Los Angeles with 364 receptions for 5,013 yards and 48 touchdowns to go along with his four Pro Bowl nods.