Woodson Was a Great Pick at No. 4 Overall

The Las Vegas Raiders are approaching the NFL Draft looking for the next crop of great Raiders, but looking back, Charles Woodson was one of the greatest at No. 4 overall.

Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson has been in the news in the last few days when he said he would like to see the Las Vegas Raiders draft quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who, like Woodson, played college ball at Michigan.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Woodson himself was one of the best draft picks in franchise history when the Oakland Raiders selected him with the fourth overall selection of the 1998 National Football League Draft after being a two-time All-American for the Wolverines and helping them claim the 1998 national championship.

“Charles Woodson is one of those players who comes along and reminds you why you love the game,” ex-Raiders star and former General Manager Reggie McKenzie said. “He truly was a one of a kind player who went above and beyond his Heisman trophy and future Gold Jacket (for reaching the Pro Football Hall of Fame).

“It has been an honor to have worked alongside Charles for so many years and have the confidence to call him what he truly is: the G.O.A.T. He is, without a doubt, the embodiment of what it means to be a Raider.”

Not only a great Raiders, Charles Woodson is one of the greatest players in NFL history / © Kirby Lee | 2023 Aug 13

Before even coming to the Raiders, Woodson was selected All-Big Ten Conference three times and All-American three times. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award, the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Heisman Trophy.

In addition, during his incredible junior season at Michigan before turning pro, he was chosen Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Sporting News Player of the Year.

Woodson also was named to the Mount Rushmore of Michigan Football, along with Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, and Anthony Carter.

Then he came to the Raiders.

“The Raiders took me fourth overall because they had a certain need, and that was for me to come in and play man-to-man, bump-and-run all day, to guard the best receiver,” said Woodson, who was equally adept at cornerback and safety during his 18-year career in the NFL.

“You understand your job going in, so that's what you focus on. Would I have liked to play receiver and go both ways? Yep, I would have loved to have done that.”

In his rookie season with the Silver and Black, Woodson made 64 tackles, intercepted five passes, returned them for 118 yards and a 46-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, and forced two fumbles. Woodson was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Even though quarterbacks began avoiding him, in his second season Woodson collected 61 tackles, including three for losses, one interception that he returned 15 yards for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery that he ran back 24 yards. He was named All-Pro for the first time while making the Pro Bowl again in his second season.

Woodson only got better by the year, finishing his eight seasons for the Raiders with 469 total tackles, including 15 for losses, 17 interceptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns, 14 forced fumbles, and four recoveries, plus 5½ sacks while being selected All-Pro three times and playing in three Pro Bowls.

In Super Bowl XXVIII, Woodson made eight tackles and intercepted a pass in the Raiders’ 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After sustaining a broken leg in the sixth week of the 2005 season, Woodson was lost for the year. In 2006, he became a free agent and signed a seven-year, $52.7-million contract with the Green Bay Packers.

Woodson played the next seven seasons with the Pack, being selected All-Pro four more times, playing in four Pro Bowls, being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, and becoming a world champion when Green Bay beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 25-17, in Super Bowl XLV, even though he watched most of it from the sidelines after sustaining a broken collarbone in the second quarter.

In 2013, Woodson returned to the Raiders for his last three seasons, adding 284 tackles, 10 tackles for losses, three sacks, nine interceptions for 70 yards in returns, four forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries for 61 yards, and a touchdown.

In addition, he was selected to the All-Pro team for the eighth time and played in his ninth Pro Bowl in his final season, 2017, when Woodson also won the Art Rooney Award. Later, he was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.

Woodson finished his career in the top five in NFL history with 65 interceptions and 11 pick-sixes. He also is the Raiders franchise career leader with 18 forced fumbles and 84 passes defended.

“I ended up where I should have been and I’m really happy about that,” Woodson said of returning to the Raiders. “Those three seasons really closed out my career the right way. If I didn’t go back, I think there would be a love-hate relationship for the fans. But it was the right decision and I’ll always be part of the Raider Nation.”

As they say, Once a Raider, Always a Raider.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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