Like every team, the Raiders have had their fair share of draft misses over the past two decades. In 2004, they selected Robert Gallery over Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. In 2007, they picked JaMarcus Russell over several generational talents, such as Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson.
However, their pick at No. 4 in the 2008 NFL Draft doesn’t even compare to other such whiffs. With that selection, the Raiders choose
1. QB Joe Flacco
Hindsight is 20/20 here, but let’s go ahead and start with Joe Flacco. It’s important to remember that the Raiders had just selected Jamarcus Russell with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and he started only one game as a rookie. Even though we know how the story would eventually play out, the Raiders wanted to give Russell the opportunity to start a full season so they could fully evaluate him.
Having said that, Flacco seems like the ideal Raiders’ quarterback. While athleticism and mobility were a concern, his arm talent was not. Flacco had arguably the best arm in the NFL and excelled throwing the ball down the field.
But what makes this pick so risky is that Flacco never played at an elite level over a 16 game schedule. The best season of his career came in 2010, where he had a passer rating of 93.6 and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. For his carer, he had a passer rating of only 84.1 and turnovers always were significant issues for the former Ravens’ quarterback.
From 2008-2017, Flacco had 130 interceptions, averaging over 13 interceptions per season. To make matters worse, he took a ton of sacks (359) and averaged nearly eight fumbles per season during that stretch.
Flacco got incredibly hot during the 2012 postseason and led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win. But for most of his career, he was an average quarterback, at best.
However, he still deserves consideration for this pick in a re-draft considering his accomplishments. Positional value is really the only reason Flacco makes this list of players the Raiders should have drafted at No. 4.
2. WR DeSean Jackson
Think. Can you name the leading receivers for the Raiders during the 2008 season? Johnnie Lee Higgins had the most receiving yards (366) and the team started players such as Ashley Lelie, Javon Walker and Ronald Curry a bunch that season. Yikes.
While the 2008 draft didn’t have a ton of talent at receiver, DeSean Jackson would have been a great fit with the Raiders. Not only was he a California kid, but he was the most explosive receiver in the draft.
Despite lackluster size, Jackson produced like an elite receiver for most of his career. From 2008-2016, Jackson caught 498 passes for 8,819 yards and 46 touchdowns. He also was a dynamic punt returner and even had some big runs on offense, as well. For his career, he’s averaged well over 17 yards per reception and kept defensive coordinators up at night with his elite quickness and speed.
If the Raiders had selected Jackson at No. 4, they likely wouldn’t have picked speedster Darrius Hewayd-Bay with the No. 7 pick in the following year’s draft. Instead, they would have been much more likely to draft Michael Crabtree to pair with Jackson. Sigh.
3. RB Chris Johnson
The 2008 draft class will be remembered as one of the best running back classes in the history of the NFL. Six different running backs made the Pro Bowl from this draft, combining for 14 Pro Bowl appearances. Of those six running backs, no one was better at their peak than Chris Johnson, who was selected with the No. 24 pick in the draft.
Johnson’s 2009 season was one of the best ever in NFL history as he totaled 2,509 yards and 16 touchdowns on just 408 touches. He averaged a whopping 5.6 yards per carry, rushing for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson would start his career off with six-straight seasons with at least 1,400 total yards as he was the most dynamic running back in the NFL.
With the Raiders’ love for speed, Johnson would have been fantastic in Greg Knapp’s offense. Instead, they picked McFadden, who never could quite find the same level of success as Johnson.
4. RB Jamaal Charles
While Chris Johnson had the better peak, Jamaal Charles might have been the better overall running back. Falling to pick No. 73, there were questions about whether or not Charles would be anything more than a scat-back in the NFL.
While he never received close to the amount of work that Johnson did with the Titans, Charles was maybe the most efficient back in NFL history. Throughout his career, Charles averaged an insane 5.4 yards per carry and 5.5 during his nine years with the Chiefs.
During the peak of his powers (2009-2012), Charles averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 6.2 yards per touch. But his best season came in 2013 when he was the team’s full-time starter. Charles totaled 1,980 yards and 19 touchdowns on just 329 touches. Making matters worse, he tormented the Raiders, scoring 11 touchdowns in 14 games.
While picking a running back at No. 4 doesn’t seem like great value, Charles was a special back who didn’t need a ton of touches to make an impact on the game.
5. DT Calais Campbell
For the most part, the 2008 draft class lacked a lot of high-end defensive talent. While players like Aqib Talib and Jerod Mayo did return value on their first-round selections, neither player was a generational talent that will garner any Hall of Fame consideration. But the one defender that does fill that criteria is defensive end Calais Campbell, who was picked by the Cardinals in the middle of the second round.
Coming out of Miami (FL), there were some concerns about where Campbell would play in the NFL. His size suggested he would need to be a five-technique, but he has proven to be a versatile defender capable of playing all across the defensive line.
Heading into his 13th season, Campbell has appeared in 186 games in the NFL, racking up 201 quarterback hits and 88 sacks. He’s been one of the league’s best-run defenders as well, clogging up lanes and making plays in the backfield.
Due to their lack of defensive line talent, the Raiders would eventually give away a first-round pick for 30-year old Richard Seymour to shore up that spot. If they had selected Campbell at No. 4 instead, they could have held onto their 2011 first-round pick, which just so happened to be one of the strongest draft classes in NFL history.
Given how consistent and dominant Campbell has been during his NFL career, you can make a strong case that he should have been the pick for the Raiders over all of the other names listed above.
