The Raiders aren't known for their great draft history. While the franchise has certainly found some gems such as Charles Woodson, Marcus Allen and Howie Long, they also have been marred by quite a few draft busts.
Anyone will tell you that the NFL draft is far from an exact science and some teams fare better than others. At the same time, there will definitely be some players that were draft busts that luckily do not find themselves on this list.
5. Darrius Heyward-Bey
A solid 2011 season and a nine-year NFL career prevents Heyward-Bey from being higher on this list but make no mistake, he is certainly one of the biggest draft busts in Raiders history.
The 6-foot-2 wide receiver never dominated at the college level as many other top prospects do but after running a 4.3 forty-yard-dash, the Raiders fell in love with Heyward-Bey's potential and selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2009.
As mentioned before, besides a 2011 season where he put up 975 yards and four touchdowns, Heyward-Bey was never really more than a third or fourth option at receiver — far from what you expect from a top-10 pick.
4. Patrick Bates
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Bates had the frame to be an elite defensive back at the NFL level. That's why the Los Angeles Raiders selected him with the 12th overall in 1983.
Due to off-the-field distractions, Bates only last two seasons with the Raiders where he started just nine games and recorded one interception. After one season with the Atlanta Falcons, Bates was out of the league by 26.
3. John Clay
A consensus All-American offensive tackle at the University of Missouri, Clay was supposed to be an absolute star and was expected to be a centerpiece in the Raiders rushing attack of Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson.
However, Clay struggled from the get-go and after starting nine games, was traded to the San Diego Chargers. Things weren't much better for Clay on his new team as 1988 would be his last year in the league.
An offensive lineman as highly touted as Clay is certainly expected to last more than two years in the NFL.
2. Todd Marinovich
From a young age, Marinovich was sculpted by his father to be the perfect quarterback and after two years as the starter at USC, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal-caller was selected by the Raiders with the 24th overall pick in the 1991 draft.
Whether it was a lack of talent, intense pressure, his well-documented substance abuse issues or a combination of all three — Marinovich completely flamed out in the NFL.
Marinovich started only one game as a rookie but started seven in year number two. That season, the former phenom completed just 49.1 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions.
After a series of failed drug tests, Marinovich was suspended for a season and would never return to the NFL.
1. JaMarcus Russell
If Marinovich was a phenom, Russell was simply a next-level prospect. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds with one of the strongest arms in college football history, Russell was one of the most physically imposing and tantalizing prospects in college football history.
The Raiders were coming off a two-win campaign in 2006 where they put out Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks at QB so picking Russell with the number one overall selection was a no-brainer.
However, a lack of work ethic, general disinterest and weight issues all combined to make Russell one of the biggest draft busts in league history. The former LSU star would last just three seasons in the league, went 7-18 as a starter and in 2009, threw 11 interceptions compared to just three touchdowns.
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