Moving right along, we are now exactly 14 weeks from the Raiders’ 2017 season opener in Tennessee. With 98 days remaining, we look at the best to ever don the number 98 along with a look at who wears it now.
Who wore it best: DE Bobby Hamilton
The journeyman defensive end had already played 9 seasons in the NFL before he stopped over in Oakland for two seasons in 2004-05. During that time he played some decent defensive end, starting nearly every game. In 2004 he led all Raiders defensive linemen with 57 tackles (34 solo) and had 56 tackles the following season. He had just 3.0 sacks in those two seasons, but he was not their speed rushing end, he was a proficient run stopper.
Who’s wearing it now: DE Branden Jackson
Jackson enters his second season in the NFL, though technically he’s still just a first year player. He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent last offseason out of Texas Tech and made a strong enough impression to stick around on the team’s practice squad. Late in the season, he was called up to the active roster, where he spent the final three games.
Overall, the Raiders were very thin at the defensive end position last season, opening the door for Jackson to stick around. If Mario Edwards Jr can stay healthy along with the addition of rookie third round pick Eddie Vanderdoes, Jackson will have a lot more work to do to crack the lineup this year.
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