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. 4. Kolton Miller: 15th overall, 2018 NFL Draft
The first Day 1 pick after the return of Jon Gruden to the helm of the franchise as head coach, Kolton Miller was not a popular pick at the time. Miller was seen as a potential Day 2 pick by some draft experts, and with Donald Penn entrenched as the team's starting left tackle, this was not seen as a major need at the time.
However, Miller was the pick, and he started at left tackle from Day 1, with Penn moving to the right side to give Derek Carr some more protection. Miller struggled in a big way as a rookie, but has gotten consistently better every season, and is now one of the better young left tackles in the game.
He has carved out a nice career so far in the Silver and Black and will anchor the offensive line once again in 2023.
- No. 3. Amari Cooper: 4th overall, 2015 NFL Draft
After selecting both Khalil Mack and Derek Carr in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Raiders seemingly struck gold once again early in the 2015 NFL Draft. The pick at No. 4 overall was Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, and he did not disappoint right from the get-go, becoming one of the best young wideouts in the game.
Cooper racked up over 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons, and despite an injury and lowered production in 2017, still had a career-high seven touchdowns. However, with a contract on the horizon, and Jon Gruden not thinking he could sign him for a team-friendly deal, Cooper was traded away to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2018 season, ending what should have been a tremendous career in the Silver and Black.
Since leaving the Raiders, Cooper has racked up over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons and has over 8,000 yards to date.