The 2013 NFL Draft wasn’t kind to the Oakland Raiders. Picking at No. 12, the Raiders “reached” on cornerback D.J. Hayden, who most considered a Day 2 pick before that weekend. Despite only two years of production at Houston, the Raiders were hoping they would strike gold on the next Nnamdi Amougha.
Unfortunately, Hayden proved the draft experts right as he struggled to stay healthy for most of his career. But to his credit, he’s developed into a solid starter for the Jaguars when he is healthy. But despite the late-career turnaround, the selection of Hayden was the wrong one for the Raiders.
Today, we are looking at a handful of players the Raiders should have selected at that No. 12 spot. We will ignore players drafted after the first round and instead, focus on players who were actually in the conversation for most teams in that range. With that in mind, here are the five players the Raiders should have selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.
WR DeAndre Hopkins
The best player in the first round, by far, was DeAndre Hopkins. Despite being incredibly productive at Clemson, Hopkins fell to the No. 27 pick to the Houston Texans. He’s made three-straight All-Pro teams, catching 315 passes for 4,115 yards and 31 touchdowns.
If the Raiders would have selected Hopkins in the first round, they could have paired him with Amari Cooper or went a different direction entirely in the 2015 draft. Either way, Hopkins is the clear-cut best player from the 2013 draft.
DT Sheldon Richardson
Arguably the best prospect (at the time) that was on the board when the Raiders were on the clock was Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
After dominating in the SEC, Richardson was an uber-athletic defensive tackle with the position flex to play in any style of defense. While consistency has been an issue, at times, his talent is undeniable. The best year of his career came in 2014 when he recorded eight sacks and 21 quarterback hits for the Jets.
In 2019, he was a productive defensive tackle for the Browns, despite low sack totals. While the upside might not be as high as a few of the other picks, Richardson would have been a great selection at No. 12.
CB Desmond Trufant
If the Raiders were dead-set on drafting a cornerback, Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant would have been a fantastic fit with the Raiders.
Trufant has started 97 games in the NFL and his best year came in 2015 when he made the Pro Bowl. While he has never been a true “ball-hawk” at cornerback, he did record four interceptions in just nine games last season.
Trufant was the far superior prospect to Hayden and was the better athlete, too. It’s tough to find a reason why the Raiders were so much higher on Hayden than Trufant.
OG Kyle Long
If the Raiders were looking to upgrade their offensive line, the 2013 draft was the year to do so. While six offensive linemen went off the board before their pick at No. 12, there were still several future Pro Bowl players available still in the round.
One such prospect was Kyle Long from Oregon. Blessed with fantastic athleticism and NFL bloodlines, Long proved to be worth his first-round status. While he has struggled with injuries some in his NFL career, Long has already made three Pro Bowls at both guard and tackle.
CB Xavier Rhodes
Another cornerback the Raiders could have considered in the first round was Florida State’s Xavier Rhodes. While Rhodes needed some fine-tuning in regards to his technique in the NFL, he was a supreme athlete with ideal size and length. At 6’1, 210 pounds, Rhodes ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and had a 40.5 inch vertical.
With the Raiders clearly searching for upside at cornerback, Rhodes should have been the obvious pick at No. 12. Instead, he fell to pick No. 25 and became an All-Pro defender for the Vikings.
