2021 NFL Draft: Raiders have had success at No. 17 and 48 before
No. 48: Howie Long
Looking at the Raiders’ history with the No. 48 pick, it was easy to choose the best selection they ever made, as it was a guy who became an all-time great. With pick No. 48 in the 1981 NFL Draft, the then-Oakland Raiders selected Howie Long, who would go on to become one of the better defensive ends the NFL has ever seen.
Long would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, going to eight Pro Bowls, being named a first-team All-Pro three times, and was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. That award was pretty special since the 1985 season had arguably the best defensive team in NFL history in the Chicago Bears, but it was Long who walked away with the honor.
No. 75 won a Super Bowl with the Raiders, played his whole career with the team, and was eventually named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1980s. Not bad for a second-round pick.
In a perfect world, the Raiders will be able to bring in Hall of Fame talent with both their No. 17 and No. 48 picks this year, but after the last few drafts, we will take guys who can help this team get to the playoffs consistently. Sure, the Raiders have improved in the win column the past two years, but it has not felt like it due to late-season collapses, making this draft a crucial one for Mayock and company.