The Raiders have a long history of drafting future Hall of Famers, from Marcus Allen to Tim Brown to Charles Woodson.

Those selections helped the team become one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. The Raiders won three Super Bowls in large part due to their homegrown talent.

The team will hope to bring in another successful batch of players when the 2025 NFL draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Until then, here are the three best draft classes in Raiders history:

3. 1971

The Raiders’ first- and second-round picks, safety Jack Tatum and linebacker Phil Villapiano, respectively, became foundational pieces for the franchise.

Running back Clarence Davis, a fourth-round pick, also became a solid runner and an excellent blocker. He shined in Super Bowl 11, running for 137 yards on 16 carries to help the Raiders defeat the Vikings 32-14.

2. 1977

The Raiders added five cornerstone pieces in this draft.

Cornerback Lester Hayes, a fifth-round pick, remains tied for the club lead with 39 interceptions. He had 13 of them during the 1980 season, which ended with the Raiders defeating the Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl 15.

The team also picked safety Mike Davis in the second round, offensive lineman Mickey Marvin in the fourth round and linebacker Rod Martin in the 12th round. All three, along with Hayes, were starters for the Raiders in Super Bowl 15 and Super Bowl 18.

1. 1968

The Raiders picked two Hall of Famers in this draft and didn’t use a first-round pick on either one of them.

The team took quarterback Ken Stabler in the second round, then came back in the third round and selected offensive tackle Art Shell.

Stabler is the greatest passer in franchise history and led the team to victory in Super Bowl 11. Shell was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time first-team All Pro.

The Raiders’ first-round pick was Eldridge Dickey, who became the first Black quarterback selected in the first round of an AFL or NFL draft. The team moved him to wide receiver, however.

The Raiders’ other selections included safety George Atkinson (seventh round), fullback Marv Hubbard (11th round) and running back Charlie Smith (fourth round).

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.