Oakland Raiders: Top 20 Draft Picks In Franchise History
By Erik Lambert
#14: Jack Tatum (19th overall, 1971)
To this day, Oakland Raiders fans argue that it shouldn’t even be a debate that safety Jack Tatum was and remains the most feared hitter in the history of the National Football League. Indeed the wealth of highlights showing him almost decapitating receivers and knocking them cold is proof positive they might have a case. After all, he didn’t get the nickname of the “Assassin” by accident. The man had a gift for turning the middle of the field into No Man’s Land for ball carriers.
This belies how good of a player he actually was. Tatum was a three-time Pro Bowler during the height of the Raiders’ dominance in the 1970s. In that time he collected 32 interceptions. After trading him to Houston, he offered a glimpse of just how underrated he was by playing his last season as a pro for the Oilers and breaking his personal record with an addition seven interceptions, bringing the tally to 39. If not for the head-hunting reputation he cultivated in Oakland, he might be in the Hall of Fame where he belongs.
Next: #13