The Raiders have had a lot of success with late-round picks in recent memory, including the selections of Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow and Foster Moreau. But while those players appear to be “hits” for the Raiders, they don’t even come close to some of the late-round picks the team has had in their history.
Today, we are taking a look at the best late-round picks by the Raiders, ranking them from 5-1. For this piece, all draft picks came after the first three rounds, with all of the players being selected after the top-95 picks. So without further ado, let’s get to some of the greatest drafts steals in NFL history.
5. DL Greg Townsend (Pick No. 110)
One of the league’s most versatile defenders at the time, Greg Townsend started games at defensive end, linebacker, defensive tackle and nose tackle during his NFL career.
Selected in the fourth round of the 1983 draft, Townsend would go on to play 174 games with the Raiders, totaling 107.5 sacks. From 1985-1991, he accumulated 77.5 sacks to go along with 283 solo tackles. He would make two Pro Bowls during the span as he was one of the league’s best pas-rushers.
However, Townsend’s best contribution to the team was the 4.5 sacks that he had during the 1983 season as a rookie. He helped lead the Raiders to their Super Bowl win, despite never cracking the starting lineup. Towsend is currently 23rd all-time in sack totals despite being only a fourth-round pick.
4. C Dave Dalby (Pick No. 100)
Finding quality offensive linemen after the first three rounds is incredibly tough. But to find Pro-Bowl linemen in the triple-digit picks is nearly impossible. But that is precisely what the Raiders did in the 1972 draft when they selected center Dave Dalby from UCLA.
Dalby started his career as a reserve lineman for the Raiders, failing to start a single game from 1972-1974. But in 1975, he got a chance at the starting center job and never gave it up. He would go on to start 135 games for the Raiders, as he was the team’s starting center in all three of their Super Bowl wins.
Dalby would make just one Pro Bowl team during his career, but he was a far better player than the accolades would suggest. He was among the league’s best and most reliable centers for a decade.
3. LB Rod Martin (Pick No. 317)
Drafted in the 12th round of the 1977 NFL Draft, you can make a case that Rod Martin was one of the greatest steals in Raiders’ history. Martin quickly became one of the league’s best linebackers, starting 147 games between 1978-1988.
The best season of his career came in 1984, as he was named a first-team All-Pro linebacker. Martin would go on to make two Pro Bowls and helped the Raiders win Super Bowls during the 1980 and 1983 season.
During the 1980 playoffs, Martin had three interceptions, all three of which occurred in the Super Bowl over the Eagles. But despite his superhuman performance, Martin was not awarded the MVP of that game as voters chose quarterback Jim Plunkett over him despite only completing 13 passes.
2. CB Lester Hayes (Pick No. 126)
Arguably one of the best defensive backs in team history, cornerback Lester Hayes was a staple of the Raiders’ defense from 1977-1986. During his career with the Raiders, he recorded 39 interceptions as he developed the reputation of a shut-down cornerback.
The best season of his career came in 1980 when he had a league-leading 13 interceptions and 273 return yards. He was named an All-Pro cornerback during that season and would eventually be named the 1980 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year.
Hayes would go on to make five straight Pro Bowls from 1980-1984 and helped the Raiders win two Super Bowls during his NFL career.
1. WR Cliff Branch (Pick No. 98)
While Branch was selected inside the top-100 picks, he didn’t go until the fourth-round of the 1972 draft. Blessed with elite speed, Branch developed into one of the best deep-threat receivers in NFL history. He averaged an insane 17.3 yards per catch during his career, with his best season coming in 1976, when he averaged 24.2 yards per reception on 46 grabs (1,111 yards).
Branch only had two seasons above 1,000 yards receiving, but he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was an important piece in three Super Bowl-winning teams. Branch played 14 seasons with the Raiders, totaling 8,685 yards and 67 total touchdowns.
