49ers, Raiders have eye-opening history when drafting next to each other
Barring a trade, the 49ers and Raiders will pick after each other in the first round of the NFL Draft for the fourth time during the 51 years they’ve been in the league together.
Proving they just can’t lose with Jimmy Garoppolo on their side, the 49ers beat the Raiders in a much-anticipated coin flip Friday morning. Thus, the 49ers have the ninth pick and the Raiders own the 10th selection for the draft on April 26.
Actually, the coin flip victory ended a five-flip losing streak for the 49ers, who lost the opening toss in all of their Jimmy Gled wins to close their 6-10 season. But, who’s really counting that?
Looking back further in the teams’ coin flip history, the 49ers also beat the Raiders in a flip at the 2006 NFL Combine to earn the sixth pick.
Most folks will tell you a one spot difference in the NFL Draft doesn’t mean much, but will the 49ers break the Raiders’ hearts by taking either Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith or Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward right in front of them?
If nothing else, it could add to the intriguing history of how the 49ers and Raiders drafted when they’ve been stuck next to each other in the first round:
2006 DRAFT: Both teams finished 4-12 in 2005, but the 49ers won the coin flip in Indianapolis.
6th pick: 49ers took Vernon Davis, a tight end from Maryland. The 34-year-old is still active at 34 with the Redskins and will begin his 13th season in the fall. He was a star in San Francisco, making the Pro Bowl twice.
7th pick: Raiders took Michael Huff, a safety from Texas. Mostly a disappointment in his seven years in Oakland, Huff’s signature play came when he intercepted a pass in the end zone to preserve a win in Houston one day after Al Davis died. He last played in 2013, appearing in seven games with the Ravens before being released and finishing in Denver for three games.
Who picked best? 49ers, by a landslide.
2000 DRAFT: 49ers originally had the No. 3 overall pick, but through a series of deals by 49ers GM Terry Donahue, they moved from No. 3 to No. 12 to No. 16, netting an extra 1st-rounder (CB Ahmed Plummer) and a 2nd (CB Jason Webster). Raiders, coached by a young Jon Gruden, earned the 17th pick with an 8-8 finish.
16th pick: 49ers took outside linebacker Julian Peterson from Michigan State. Peterson, a freak athlete and dangerous pass rusher, played 11 years in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl five times, including twice for San Francisco. For what it’s worth, the Redskins selected six-time Pro Bowl tackle and Hall of Fame hopeful Chris Samuels with 49ers’ original pick (No. 3), and Jets chose two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Shaun Ellis with the 49ers’ briefly owned No. 12 pick.
17th pick: Raiders took kicker Sebastian Janikowski from Florida State. Al Davis was mocked for the pick (in much the same way his selection of Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy was), and Janikowski made just one Pro Bowl. However, his ability to make long-distance kicks – his 55 field goals from 50plus yards is an NFL record – made him the most dangerous kicker in the league.
Who picked the best? Raiders, by a foot.
1991 DRAFT: Both teams lost in their conference championship games and Raiders got the pick right before the 49ers for the first time. The Los Angeles Raiders were beaten by the Bill in the AFC title game and got the 24th pick. 49ers lost to the Giants in the NFC Championship and got the 25th pick.
24th pick: Raiders took quarterback Todd Marinovich from USC. The next Ken Stabler he was not. The son of an ex-raider-turnedmilitant father is one of the bigger draft busts in history. Spent just two years in the NFL. Has had a harrowing post-nfl life that’s included drug abuse.
25th pick: 49ers took defensive tackle Ted Washington from Louisville. A four-time Pro Bowler, Washington became arguably the NFL’S best run-stuffer. He even played in Oakland at the end of his career.
Who picked the best? 49ers, by Ted Washington’s waistline and then some.
However lopsided those 1991 picks were, the Raiders still soundly defeated the 49ers in that off-season because they signed free agents Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott from San Francisco.