With the 2021 NFL draft just over three weeks away, it’s time to look back at some of the best picks over the last two decades for the Raiders. Today, we will start with Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2003 NFL Draft.
The Raiders used the No. 31 pick on Asomugha after losing to the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl the year prior. The team also owned the No. 32 pick in that class as part of the trade compensation for Jon Gruden. They used that selection on defensive end Tyler Brayton, who played five years with the team.
To relive pick No. 31 in the 2003 NFL draft, here is ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., along with Chris Mortensen and Chris Berman, breaking down the pick of Asomugha in the first round. The video is courtesy of ESPN and their Day 1 broadcast:
Here is ESPN breaking down the selection of #Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2003 NFL Draft: pic.twitter.com/kxCGidjtzu
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 5, 2021
Asomugha would go on to have a fantastic career with the Raiders, playing eight seasons and being a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He earned All-Pro honors in 2008 and 2010 before signing with the Eagles in free agency of 2011.
In total, Asomugha would play 11 seasons in the NFL, racking up 15 interceptions as he was one of the league’s shutdown corners. The pick of Asomugha was arguably the Raiders’ best selection of the past two decades.
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