Raiders to pick at No. 13 overall for the second time in team history

The Las Vegas Raiders have had plenty of Day 1 picks in recent memory, and for the most part, they have struggled to add elite talent. The list is long when it comes to the Raiders misses in the first round, but now, more than ever, they have to make sure they get it right.

The 2024 NFL Draft will be the first for general manager Tom Telesco in the role, and his first selection is current at No. 13 overall. There are rumors that the team could move up or down on Day 1, but for now, Telesco will turn in his first index card as GM of the Raiders in the middle of the first round.

In the history of the Raiders, they have picked in this slot only one other time, and the selection was one of the more interesting people in team history.

Raiders picking at No. 13 for the second time ever

Back in 1961, the then-Oakland Raiders made George Fleming the No. 13 overall pick in the draft. However, the 2024 NFL Draft will bring the franchise's first-ever first round pick, as Fleming was picked in the second round sixty years ago.

Fleming was drafted out of Washington as a hybrid player, as he was listed as both a running back, and a kicker. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Fleming lasted only one season in the AFL with the franchise, before spending over 20 years as a politician as both a member of the House of Representatives, and then the Senate.

He lived an incredibly impressive life, and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. During his collegiate career, he blasted a 54-yard field goal, and in the 1960 Rose Bowl, not only did he kick a 40-plus yard field goal, but he also returned a punt for a touchdown, earning Co-MVP honors.

Hopefully, the Raiders can add a player at No. 13 this year that helps the team for more than one season.