The Raiders do not have a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. That is okay as the Raiders have acquired the league’s best receiver in Davante Adams. But with the NFL Draft just around the corner, it’s still fun to look back at older drafts and highlights from years ago.
Today, we are taking a look back at the 2000 NFL Draft and what the Raiders did at pick No. 17. Here is Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN breaking down the selection of Sebastian Janikowski:
Here is ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. breaking down the selection of #Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski in the 2000 NFL Draft: pic.twitter.com/PzUtV4R9gg
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 20, 2022
Janikowski was just one of three kickers to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. While it seems crazy today to spend a pick that high on a kicker, it worked out well for the Raiders. He spent 17 years with the team, connecting on over 80 percent of his kicks.
He was one of the first long-range kickers in NFL history as he made 58 kicks beyond 50 yards during his career. The longest kick he made in his career was 63 yards, which tied the longest field goal in NFL history. He also holds one of the most fun records in the NFL with the longest field goal attempt (76) in league history.
Picking a kicker in the first round will probably never happen again, but the Raiders did get this one right.