Arguably the biggest mistake the Raiders have ever made as a franchise is selecting JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Not only did he fail in Oakland, picks No. 2, No. 3 and No. 7 combined to make 23 Pro Bowls during their NFL career.
If the Raiders had a time-machine and could back to that night, who would they have picked at No. 1? Would they have still tried to improve their offense? Or should they have taken a generational defender?
Today, we are taking a look at the five players the Raiders should have drafted with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft.
1. WR Calvin Johnson
The No. 2 pick in the draft, Calvin Johnson would go on to become one of the best receivers of the decade. In nine seasons with the Lions, Johnson totaled 11,619 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns.
At his peak, he was the most physically dominating receivers in the NFL as he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at 6’5, 239 pounds. While Johnson rarely played with a competent quarterback, we saw his ceiling in 2012 with Matt Stafford as he caught 122 passes for 1,964 yards.
While the Raiders certainly needed a franchise quarterback, getting a Hall-of-Fame caliber receiver would have helped any quarterback on the roster. Given just how freaky of an athlete Johnson was coming out of college, he should have been the no-brainer decision at No. 1.
2. OT Joe Thomas
Probably the smartest move the Raiders could have made at the No. 1 pick was selecting Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas. But after whiffing on Robert Gallery, it’s understandable why the team might have been “gunshy” about drafting another Big 10 offensive tackle.
However, Thomas was one of the safest offensive tackle prospects to come out of college in years. Not only was he the Outland Trophy Award winner (nation’s best offensive linemen) in 2006, but he tested as a freak athlete at the NFL Combine. At 6’7, 311 pounds, Thomas ran a 4.92 30-yard dash and jumped 33 inches in the vertical drill.
Thomas went on to make 10 Pro Bowls with the Browns and was a six-time All-Pro tackle. If the Raiders had gone in this direction, he would have solidified the left side of their offensive line for a decade. Instead, the left tackle spot haunted the Raiders until 2014 when they eventually signed Donald Penn to fill the position.
3. RB Adrian Peterson
While taking a running back with the No. 1 pick doesn’t seem like the smartest move, there aren’t many running backs in NFL history better than Adrian Peterson.
Falling to No. 7 after concerns about a college collarbone injury, Peterson was drafted by the Vikings and had instant success. During his rookie season, he split carries with Chester Taylor, but still totaled 1,609 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. By 2008, he was the full-time starter and rushed for 1,760 yards and 10 touchdowns.
From 2007 to 2013, Peterson would rush for over 10,000 yards and scored 91 total touchdowns. At the age of 35, he continues to be the starter in Washington as he is approaching 15,000 career rushing yards.
During the 2008 draft, the Raiders would select a running back inside of the top-five (Darren McFadden) to help their young quarterback anyways. So picking Peterson at No. 1 certainly wouldn’t have been a stretch.
4. CB Darrelle Revis
Arguably the best overall player on this list, Darrelle Revis was drafted the lowest (No. 14) of the five players that are mentioned. Not only did Revis develop into an All-Pro cornerback with the Jets and Patriots, but he is also now widely considered one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game.
From 2008-2014, Revis made six Pro Bowls and the only year he didn’t was when he was injured and missed most of the 2012 season. Revis was a turnover machine early in his career (14 interceptions from 2007-2009), but opposing quarterbacks quickly learned to avoid him whenever possible.
It’s tough to imagine anyone thinking Revis could have reached these peaks as a cornerback during their NFL career, but the thought of pairing him with prime Nnamdi Asomugha would have something to watch.
5. LB Patrick Willis
The final player the Raiders should have considered at No. 1 is former All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis. Coming out of the 2006 college football season, Willis was the consensus best linebacker in the class as was twice named an All-America selection and was the 2006 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
After his dominant college career, Willis destroyed the NFL Combine, running a 4.51 40-yard dash at 242 pounds. While injuries shortened his career (eight seasons), he made the Pro Bowl in seven-straight years to start his career. He was named an All-Pro in five of those seasons and was the reason why the 49ers’ defense was so dominant in the early part of the decade.
While the players above this list probably would have been better selections given their longevity and their positional value, Willis was simply one of the best linebackers in NFL history when he was at his peak. In most drafts, he would easily warrant the No. 1 selection.
