The Raiders have been the definition of a trainwreck for most of the past 23 seasons. Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, the team has made just two postseason appearances and has not won a playoff game. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are the only team with a worse record than their 131-242 mark.
Only the Browns and New York Jets have scored fewer points per game, while no team has allowed more points per game. Those problems on both sides of the ball have been magnified by the team's inability to draft.
The Raiders have had a reputation for whiffing in the draft, as Kolton Miller is the only first-round pick in nearly two decades to make it to a second contract. While they have hit on players such as Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, and Josh Jacobs, none were in Silver and Black past their fifth season. Despite the abundance of misses, one draft failure stands tall above the rest.
Bleacher Report correctly labels JaMarcus Russell as the Raiders' biggest draft failure in the 21st century
It would be difficult to list all of the players the Raiders have passed on in the 21st century. Something that became somewhat of a yearly theme in the early portion of the century, however, was that the next team on the board would land a future Hall of Famer.
Legendary names such as Ed Reed, Larry Fitzgerald, Aaron Rodgers, and Calvin Johnson were all selected one pick after the then-Oakland Raiders were on the clock. Who did the Raiders select instead of that quartet? Napoleon Harris, Robert Gallery, Fabian Washington, and JaMarcus Russell, respectively, who combined for a whopping 24 seasons, 316 games, and 0 Pro Bowls.
While those picks were all awful, and that doesn't even get into the recent string of picks who have already flamed out of the league, it is hard to argue with Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox labeling Russell as the franchise's worst pick this century.
"In 2007, the Raiders opted for LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. The 2006 Manning Award winner had a 6'6" frame, incredible arm strength and a track record of generating big plays in college. However, he was also unpolished and never developed as a pro. Russell made just one start as a rookie, started 15 games as a sophomore and was benched before the end of his third season. In all, he started 25 games, posted a 65.2 passer rating and was released in 2010."
Knox noted that it wasn't just one Hall of Famer picked immediately after Russell, but actually two, as offensive tackle Joe Thomas went third overall. While he opted for Thomas in the re-draft, either he or Johnson would have been a much better pick.
While Russell didn't work out on the field, it was his lack of a desire to do so that particularly stung. There was an infamous incident where the coaching staff suspected he wasn't studying film and gave him blank tapes.
He reportedly returned and claimed that the game plan looked good, confirming their suspicion. There was, also, of course, his substance abuse problem, which culminated in an arrest less than two months after he was released from the Raiders.
The only No. 1 overall selection in franchise history remains the last quarterback that the franchise has selected in the first round. Las Vegas finally appears ready to turn the page, however, as the team, which has drafted better over the past two years, landing Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, appears poised to select 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
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