2021 NFL Draft: Raiders have had success at No. 17 and 48 before

2021 NFL Draft: Raiders have had success at No. 17 and 48 before

No. 17: Gene Upshaw and Sebastian Janikowski

The Raiders franchise has struck it big with pick No. 17 on two occasions, and the hope is that they can make it three next Thursday.

Gene Upshaw: 1967

Back in 1967, the Raiders made Gene Upshaw the No. 17 overall pick in the AFL Draft, and he would go on to enjoy a run with the team that would make him one of the best football players in league history.

Upshaw was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams and would be named to six Pro Bowls, and first-team All-Pro on three occasions. Becoming the first player to play in a Super Bowl in three different decades, Upshaw appeared in many of the classic Raiders games of all time, including the Heidi Game and Red Right 88.

When all was said and done, Upshaw became an all-time great in NFL history, being named to the league’s 75th and 100th Anniversary teams. Also, he was a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team and is widely regarded as the greatest Raider of all time.

Sebastian Janikowski: 2000

Taking a placekicker in the first round is considered taboo in the NFL, but that is exactly what the Raiders did with their No. 17 overall selection in 2000. The pick was Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski, a two-time All-American with the Seminoles, and a player who would go on to have a tremendous career in the Silver and Black.

Seabass became the all-time leading scorer in Raiders history, racking up 1,799 points, while also tying the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal. A one-time Pro Bowl player, Janikowski brought stability to the kicker position for the Raiders, and even gave them a 3-0 lead in Super Bowl XXXVII over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a short-lived lead.

He played all but one season for the Silver and Black, and while a weird selection at the time, it certainly played out in the Raiders’ favor.