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Pro Football Hall of Fame: 5 Dark Horse Candidates For 2019

By Erik Lambert

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 1: Cliff Branch #21 of the Los Angeles Raiders runs the ball against Mel Blount #47 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 38-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 1: Cliff Branch #21 of the Los Angeles Raiders runs the ball against Mel Blount #47 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 38-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 1: Cliff Branch #21 of the Los Angeles Raiders runs the ball against Mel Blount #47 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 38-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 1: Cliff Branch #21 of the Los Angeles Raiders runs the ball against Mel Blount #47 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 38-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

Cliff Branch (WR, 1972-1985)

There were plenty of wide receivers who could run the vertical route before Cliff Branch. Nobody could do it as consistently and effectively as he could though. Al Davis always wanted a wide receiver who could strike deep in his offenses for the Oakland Raiders and nobody epitomized that desire more than Branch who averaged a whopping 17.3 yards per catch for his career.

People get caught up in the fact he only had two 1,000-yard seasons in his career. They neglect to mention that his former teammate Fred Biletnikoff, who’s already in, only had one. A four-time Pro Bowler, Branch is the only Raider who played for all three Super Bowl champions in franchise history and went a long way towards revolutionizing the passing game in the NFL.

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