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Like most other NFL teams, the Las Vegas Raiders have had their fair share of successes and failures over the years during the annual NFL Draft. Analyzing college football prospects is difficult, as it's hard to determine which player's skillsets will adequately transition to the professional level, leading to busts and steals every year in the draft.
The first round of any NFL Draft is crucial to any NFL team's future success. It's essential to find quality players as the franchise's building blocks. While the Raiders have been successful in finding them at times, they have also made some brutal first-round picks in their franchise history. Here are five of the worst ones they have ever made.
#5 - Robert Gallery
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The Raiders used the second overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft to select Robert Gallery, a highly rated offensive lineman who played his college football career at Iowa. While calling him a complete bust would be unfair, he never lived up to the high expectations.
Gallery was drafted to be the starting offensive tackle, but he didn't last long at the position after being consistently beaten by opposing edge rushers. He was forced to switch to guard after three seasons, where he was mediocre at best.
#4 - Rolando McClain
Rolando McClain was selected with the 8th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. Inside linebackers are rarely selected that high in any draft unless they are an exceptional talent with game-changing abilities. The Raiders believed McClain was worth the exception, but they were wrong in their analysis.
McClain lasted three seasons with the team before being released, failing to record 100 tackles in any season of his career. He later signed with the Dallas Cowboys but was released after just two years, ending his career.
#3 - Clelin Ferrell
Most around the NFL considered it an unnecessary reach when Clelin Ferrell was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. While he had a solid college football career at Clemson, there were significant concerns about how his game would translate to the professional level. This is why he was projected as a mid-to-late draft pick.
The Raiders disagreed with how most felt about Ferrell, selecting him at the top of the draft to ensure they got what they considered an elite talent that could dominate as a pass rusher on the edge of their defense. It hasn't worked out that way, as he has recorded just eight total sacks across his first three seasons in the NFL.
#2 - Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood was selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Raiders expected him to be a staple on their offensive line and protect quarterback Derek Carr for many years, but it did not work out that way.
After just one season with the organization, he failed to make it through the final roster cuts during his second year in the NFL and was cut from the team. It's highly uncommon for a first-round pick to be straight-up cut after just one year, especially one that started every game during his rookie season, which demonstrates just how bad he really was as a blocker.
#1 - JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell will forever go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. He was selected as the first overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft but turned into one of the most disastrous picks of all time. He infamously feuded with the coaching staff and refused many of their wishes while also missing much of his rookie season while holding out for a larger contract before ever playing a game.
Russell threw a massive 23 interceptions in just 25 career games, proving his inability to play the quarterback position at the highest level and confirming serious concerns about his work ethic. He's one of the worst draft picks of all time by any team and one of the most epic busts in NFL history.
