Power ranking each of the past 20 Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders first-round picks
By Brad Weiss
Power ranking each of the past 20 Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders first-round picks
- No. 12. Johnathan Abram: 27th overall, 2019 NFL Draft
With the third of three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram. A hard-hitting safety for the Bulldogs, Abram had a quick impression on Raiders fans during the team's run on HBO's Hard Knocks and showed incredible potential that summer.
However, he was injured during the team's Week 1 matchup against Denver, and throughout his time with the Raiders showed a knack for making big mistakes in big moments. His 2021 season was a good one, as he notched over 115 tackles and helped the Raiders to the playoffs, but the team declined his fifth-year option the following offseason and waived him towards the end of the 2002 campaign.
- No. 11. DJ Hayden: 12th overall, 2013 NFL Draft
The Raiders franchise did not have a first-round pick during the 2011 and 2012 NFL Drafts, so DJ Hayden was their first Day 1 pick since the team picked Rolando McClain back in 2010. Hayden dealt with numerous injuries during his time with the Raiders, including issues with his abdomen, feet, and hamstring.
When he was on the field, he was a serviceable cornerback but had to fight his way up the depth chart seemingly every offseason. He was injured in three of his four seasons with the team, with his only complete season coming in 2015, when he set a career-high in tackles, but his 2016 season ended on injured reserve, and that was the last Raider Nation saw of him in the Silver and Black.