Raiders draft countdown: Carleton Oats is best No. 85

Eighty-five 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, January 28, the number is 85.

Carleton Oats, No. 85

Carleton Oats is the pick for No. 85 because he gave the Raiders years of steady defensive line play in the AFL and early NFL era. He played eight seasons with the franchise from 1965-1972 and stayed in the rotation as the team grew into a winner.

Oats appeared in 103 games with 51 starts for the Raiders. He finished with 19.0 sacks, production that holds up for the era and the role.

Why Oats gets No. 85

Oats was more than a sack total. He also made impact plays around the ball and finished with three fumble recoveries for 11 yards and one touchdown with the Raiders.

He was part of the Raiders team that won an AFL championship. That matters for this number because No. 85 does not have a long list of long-term Raiders starters.

Draft and background

Oats was born April 24, 1942, in Tampa, Florida. He played college football at Florida A&M.

The Raiders drafted him in the 1964 AFL Draft. Then he turned that entry into eight seasons in Silver and Black.