Silver And Black Pride
Can the rookies live up to the legacy their numbers carry?
OTAs are underway for the Las Vegas Raiders, which means Ashton Jeanty and the entire 2025 NFL Draft class have silver and black jerseys on with their first numbers as professionals. Since the Raiders don’t retire numbers, some of these rookies have big shoes to fill to live up to the legacy of the players who used to wear the digit.
Granted, the rookies can change their numbers before the start of the regular season and seventh-round pick Cody Lindenberg has already switched from 54 to 55. But for now, we’ll take a look at what legacy each rookie is hoping to uphold with their current threads.
This one is kind of ironic since Jeanty and Carlson will play together, and the running back recently had to pay a small fortune to get No. 2 from the kicker. There weren’t many options for this number since only seven Raiders have worn it, including the infamous bust JaMarcus Russell, and Carlson sported it the longest with five seasons. So, in a way, the No. 6 overall pick has an opportunity to create his own legacy as the best No. 2 in franchise history...pause.
Anyone who held onto a Randy Moss jersey over the last 20 years can just swap out the name plate to support Bech as he attempts to get Raider Nation to forget all about Moss’ tenure with the club. The legendary wideout is a Hall of Famer, but that wasn’t because of his two-year run in Oakland.
Meanwhile, Murphy was a solid contributor during some tough years for the franchise (2009 to 2011). He totaled 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns from scrimmage and is remembered fondly by the fanbase. That said, the 2009 fourth-round pick doesn’t have a major legacy with the club, making it attainable for Bech to become the best No. 18 in franchise history.
Coincidentally, McElroy was a defensive back who was selected 64th overall (third round) by the Raiders, and Porter was taken just a few draft slots later at 68 (third round). McElroy spent nine seasons with the Raiders (1982 to 1990) and was a ballhawk with 31 career interceptions, including eight in ‘83. He earned two Pro Bowl bids, was a second-team All-Pro once and won a Super Bowl with the Silver and Black, giving the Iowa State product some big shoes to fill.
To be honest, it’s going to be extremely difficult for Rogers to live up to Wisniewski’s legacy. The latter is one of the best offensive linemen in franchise history, making eight Pro Bowl and All-Pro (two first-team and six second-team) teams during his 13-year career from 1989 to 2001. He also earned a spot on the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and was an iron man,...
