The Raiders have had sustained success at this position
Say what you want about the the overall success of the Raiders in this century.
We know all the gory details. We know it hasn’t been great. But there is one area where the Silver and Black have been absolutely dominant in this century.
Punting.
Check out this recent tweet by the Associated Press:
Since drafting Shane Lechler in 2000, #Raiders have averaged an NFL best 47.2 yards per punt. The gap between Raiders and 2nd best team (Rams) is same as gap between Rams and 24th ranked team (Bucs)
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 26, 2025
And this one:
#Raiders are also No. 1 in net punting average since 2000 and rank 9th in percent of punts downed inside 20 https://t.co/p9zeDWqd45
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 28, 2025
Wow, that’s pretty incredible. Lechler starred for the Raiders from 2000-12 and brilliant. Now, the Raiders are in the midst of another stellar punter run by A.J. Cole, who has been starring for the Raiders since 2019 and recently signed a contract extension.
So, the Raiders’ dominance at the position will continue for the foreseeable future.
Of course, the Raiders were also blessed with Pro Football Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy from 1973-86. Just an incredible history at the position for this storied franchise.
In other Raiders’ news:
- Priorities: NFL.com has the biggest offseason priority remaining for each AFC team.
- Best tackles: PFF has a list of the top tackles in the league.
- Best DTs: PFF also presents the best defensive tackles in the NFL.