Raiders draft countdown: Bill Pickel is best No. 71

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Mark Hebert | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 10:04 AM ET

Seventy-one days remain until the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pa., April 23-25, 2026. After a 3-14 season in 2025, the Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick as this daily countdown continues through the franchise’s best players by jersey number.

Today, February 11, the number is 71.

Bill Pickel, No. 71

Bill Pickel is the pick for No. 71 because he was a disruptive interior defender for the Raiders through the 1980s. From 1983-1990, he gave the front toughness, production and versatility across multiple spots.

Pickel played 121 games for the Raiders and started 68. He posted 53.0 sacks in Silver and Black, which is rare interior production for this number.

The separator is 53.0 sacks with the Raiders.

Why Pickel gets No. 71

Pickel paired production with winning. He was part of a Super Bowl championship team and earned All-Pro recognition, which separates him from the rest of the No. 71 group.

Meanwhile, his Raiders run was long enough to build a real body of work. Eight seasons and that sack total make the choice clear.

Silver & Black Attack – Bill Pickel pic.twitter.com/kjlZtJOIMY

— Raiders ITALIA (@RaidersITALIA) September 11, 2019

Draft and background

Pickel was born Nov. 5, 1959, in New York. He attended St. Francis Prep in New York and Milford Academy in Connecticut before playing at Rutgers.

Then the Los Angeles Raiders drafted him in the second round, 54th overall, in 1983. He became a core piece of the defense for the rest of the decade.

Other notable No. 71s

Gerald Perry, 1993-1995
Delmar Glaze, 2024-2025
Denzelle Good, 2019-2021
Kelvin Korver, 1973-1975

Career check

Pickels Raiders numbers pop for an interior lineman: 53.0 sacks in 121 games. When you add a title and All-Pro recognition, No. 71 belongs to him.

Next up tomorrow: No. 70.

Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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