Oakland Raiders: Top 20 Draft Picks In Franchise History

#10:  Clifford Branch (98th overall, 1972)

If there was one wide receiver that epitomized what Al Davis envisioned his Raiders pass attacks to be, it was Clifford Branch.  Nobody could attack defenses down the field like him.  He remains arguably the greatest deep threat of the Super Bowl era.  For his career he averaged a gaudy 17.3 yards per catch, but Branch wasn’t just pigeonholed to one trick.  He had no fear going across the middle, even when he knew he was liable to get blasted by defenders who did not yet fear fines and drop-of-the-hat flags.

Branch was a four-time Pro Bowler and also quite good at finding the end zone.  He scored 67 times in his career and also holds the rare distinction of being one of the few players who were on all three Super Bowl championship teams in 1976, 1980 and 1983.  His longevity is often what is lost about him.  Branch played until he was 37-years old, and scored a 99-yard touchdown when he was 35.  That is a special kind of speed.

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