Oakland Raiders: Worst First Round Draft Picks In Franchise History

Darren McFadden (Fourth Overall – 2008)

At Arkansas, Darren McFadden was electric. In three seasons with the Razorbacks, McFadden put up some serious numbers – 4,591 yards on 785 attempts (5.8 ypc average), and scored 41 touchdowns. He also added 46 receptions for 365 yards and another pair of scores. He even chipped in on the passing game, completing 14 of 22 passes for 205 yards and seven touchdowns. It seemed as if every time McFadden touched the ball, he made plays.

After winning the Doak Walker award twice, the Jim Brown trophy, an SEC Offensive Player of the Year award, being the runner up for the Heisman twice, and a two-time consensus All American, McFadden was widely considered the top running back in the 2008 Draft.

It was little surprise then, when the Raiders used the fourth overall pick to nab McFadden, believing he would be the catalyst to their ground game which could help open up their offense as a whole.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, McFadden could never stay healthy enough to really have the sort of impact they were looking for – the sort of impact teams would expect from a fourth overall pick. In seven seasons with the Silver and Black, McFadden broke the 1,000 yard mark once – in 2010 when he rushed for 1,157 yards in 13 games.

Over his tenure in Oakland, McFadden was healthy for the whole sixteen game schedule just one time – his final season with the club in 2014 when he appeared in every game, making twelve starts. For his Raiders career, McFadden appeared in 83 games, making 63 starts, rushed for 4,247 yards and scored 25 times.

It was little surprise when the team allowed him to walk away and sign as a free agent with the Cowboys following the 2014 season. The fact that he could never stay healthy enough to stay on the field and be a consistently productive member of the offense makes him one of the worst first round picks in club history.

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