SI Declares Gene Upshaw Raiders' Best Draft Pick of All Time

The 2023 NFL Draft is just around the corner, which means it's the time of year to not only look to the league's future but also reflect on drafts of the past and the greats that came out of them.

Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame picked every NFL team's best draft pick in the history of their respective franchise in an article published on Friday.

Verderame clarified from the get-go: "This is about the best player ever drafted by a team, not the best value ever found by the club."

For the Las Vegas Raiders, Verderame named Hall of Fame offensive guard Gene Upshaw as the franchise's best draft pick ever.

Upshaw played all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders, having played a vital role in the club's first two Super Bowl victories.

Uppy finished his professional career with seven Pro Bowl selections and five first-team All-Pro honors.

Verderame wrote the following of the 17th overall pick of the 1967 NFL Draft:

"Upshaw was a dominant interior force, earning 1970s All-Decade honors along with seven Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nominations. Playing between fellow Hall of Famers in left tackle Art Shell and center Jim Otto, Upshaw helped create one of the best offensive lines in NFL history."

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The 2023 NFL Draft will go from April 27-29 and be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period began at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.

The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this offseason.

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