Top 10 Las Vegas Raiders Players of All Time

The Raiders are one of the most iconic franchises in the National Football League, thanks to their consistent success on the field. The team has also played host to some of the best players in the history of the league, but these ten are the best to have ever played for the Raiders.

Who Are The Best Las Vegas Raiders Football Players of All Time?

1. Gene Upshaw
2. Art Shell
3. Tim Brown
4. Ken Stabler
5. Jim Otto
6. Marcus Allen
7. Howie Long
8. Jim Plunkett
9. Willie Brown
10. Ted Hendricks

1. Gene Upshaw

• Two-time Super Bowl champion
• Three First-Team All-Pro appearances
• Six Pro Bowls

Gene Upshaw is the best player to have ever played for the Las Vegas Raiders due to his incredible consistency playing guard and the many total years spent with the team. Upshaw was drafted by the Raiders in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft and went on to spend the rest of his career with the team until his retirement in 1981.

In that time, Upshaw helped the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins, the first in 1976 and the second in 1980. And as an individual, Upshaw was able to rack up a serious amount of awards and accolades. He was named to the First-Team All-Pro list in 1970, 1974, and 1977. He was also named to the Second-Team list in five separate years. Upshaw was voted to six total Pro Bowls and was also named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team for his consistent success playing guard for the Raiders.

2. Art Shell

• Two-time Super Bowl champion
• Two First-Team All-Pro appearances
• Eight Pro Bowls

Art Shell was another legendary offensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders. Shell played offensive tackle for the Raiders between 1968 and 1962, almost the exact same playing time as Upshaw. Together, the two anchored what some consider one of the best offensive lines in the history of the National Football League.

Shell has two Super Bowl rings to his name and was also named twice to the prestigious First-Team All-Pro list (1974 and 1977). He appeared on the Second-Team list in 1975 and 1978. Shell was also named to a whopping eight Pro Bowls over the course of his career. He was also named to the 1970s All-Decade team as he was one of the best offensive linemen of the era. Since his retirement in 1982, Shell has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with the College Football Hall of Fame.

3. Tim Brown

• Two Second-Team All-Pro appearances
• Nine Pro Bowls
• NFL 1990’s All-Decade Team

Tim Brown, a wide receiver from Dallas, Texas, was selected by the then-Los Angeles Raiders as the sixth overall pick in the 1988 NFL draft. Brown got off to a quick start in the league by making a Pro Bowl in his first season, having gained 725 yards receiving, and a whopping 1,098 from kick returns. He scored seven total touchdowns in that first season. During his time with the Raiders, Brown tallied nine total seasons with greater than 1,000 receiving yards.

His best receiving season was likely 1997, in which he turned 104 receptions into 1,408 total yards. Both his reception and yardage totals that year were career highs, and he co-led the NFL in total receptions that year. Brown was named to two Second-Team All-Pro lists, nine Pro Bowls, and even the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1990s. He has since been awarded a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. Ken Stabler

• Super Bowl Champion
• Awarded NFL Most Valuable Player
• Offensive Player of the Year in 1974

Ken Stabler played quarterback for the Raiders for over a decade between 1968 and 1979. Over the course of his long career in the NFL, Stabler would throw for 27,938 total yards and maintained a passer rating of 75.3. Stabler’s best season came in 1974, in which he threw for 2,469 yards and a league-leading 26 touchdowns. For his efforts that year, he was awarded both the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award and the Offensive Player of the Year award.

Two seasons later, Stabler would pilot the Raiders to a Super Bowl win. In the regular season that year, he threw for a career-high 27 touchdowns and maintained a league-leading passer rating of 103.4. Stabler was named a First-Team All-Pro once and a Second-Team All-Pro in another season. He was also voted to a total of four Pro Bowls. After his eventual retirement from the league in 1984, Stabler was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

5. Jim Otto

• Nine First-Team All-AFL appearances
• Three Pro Bowls
• Pro Football Hall of Fame member

Jim Otto was another core member of the legendary Raiders’ offensive line that dominated the league in the 1970s. Otto played center for the team between 1960 and 1974. This means that much of his time was spent in the AFL before the AFL and NFL merger was completed in 1970. As such, Otto racked up a ton of accolades for his excellence in the AFL.

Nine times he was named to the All-AFL First-Team and was elected an AFL All-Star a similar nine times. He also won an AFL Championship with the Raiders in 1967. After the merger was complete, Otto made the First-Team All-Pro list one time in the NFL in 1970 and was able to play in three Pro Bowls. As a result of his consistently strong play on the Raiders’ offensive line, Otto was selected for a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

6. Marcus Allen

• Super Bowl MVP
• Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1982
• Offensive Player of the Year in 1985

Marcus Allen is by far the greatest running back to have ever put on a Raiders jersey. During his career, which spanned from 1982 to 1997 (he played for the Raiders until 1992), Allen received some of the most prestigious awards in all of professional football. In his rookie season, Allen totaled just over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, along with 14 total touchdowns.

His efforts that year won him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for the 1982 season. He continued his success the following season by helping the Raiders win the Super Bowl in 1983, a season in which he ran for 1,014 yards. He won the Super Bowl MVP award as he ran for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns. Allen’s best season, however, wouldn’t come until 1985, when he would rush for 1,759 yards on a whopping 380 attempts. He was awarded the Offensive Player of the Year award for that legendary season.

7. Howie Long

• Super Bowl Champion
• Three First-Team All-Pro appearances
• Eight Pro Bowls

Howie Long was a ferocious defensive end who played for the Raiders beginning in 1981 until his retirement in 1993. Long got off to a strong start early in his career by making five straight Pro Bowls between 1983 and 1987. And between 1983 and 1985, he was also selected to the First-Team All-Pro list. In 1986 and 1989, Long was named a Second-Team All-Pro.

Long was a highly consistent player for the Raiders and was instrumental in bringing them a Super Bowl victory in the 1984 season. Over the course of his career, Long was named to a very respectable eight Pro Bowls. His first was in 1983, and his last in 1993, his final season in the National Football League. Long was one of the names listed on the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1980s, and after his retirement in 1993, Long was selected to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

8. Jim Plunkett

• Two-time Super Bowl Champion
• Super Bowl MVP
• NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award

Jim Plunkett was another very reputable quarterback who played for the Raiders. Plunkett didn’t begin his career with the team; rather, he was selected first overall in the 1971 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. In his first season in the NFL, Plunkett won the AFC Rookie of the Year award. Plunkett eventually joined the Raiders in 1978 and quickly led the team to some of their highest highs. Plunkett brought the team to the Super Bowl in 1980, which they won.

He was awarded the Super Bowl MVP award for his 261 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Plunkett and the Raiders again found themselves in the Super Bowl in 1984, and again, they found a way to beat the Washington Redskins decisively with a score of 38-9. Over the course of his long career in the National Football League, Plunkett totaled 25,882 passing yards, and 164 touchdowns. Though he wasn’t the most consistent player with 198 interceptions in his career, Plunkett belongs on this list for bringing the Raiders back to playoff relevance.

9. Willie Brown

• Super Bowl Champion
• Two First-Team All-Pro appearances
• Four Pro Bowls

Willie Brown played cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders between 1967 and 1978. He found some of the best years of his career with the Raiders, including a Super Bowl win in 1976. He was named a First-Team All-Pro in both 1971 and 1973 and was listed on the Second Team in 1970 and 1972. As such, he made the Pro Bowl in all four of those consecutive seasons. He was also named to the All-Decade team for the 1970s.

Over the course of his career, Brown tallied 54 interceptions and two touchdowns. After his retirement from playing professional football in 1978, Brown was eventually selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, he wasn’t finished with the Raiders just yet. The year after his retirement, Brown rejoined the team as the defensive backs coach. He stayed in the position until 1988 and was able to experience two more Super Bowl wins in his involvement with the Raiders.

10. Ted Hendricks

• Won three Super Bowls with the team
• Four First-Team All-Pro appearances
• Eight Pro Bowls

Ted Hendricks spent the seasons between 1975 and 1983 with the Raiders playing outside linebacker. In that time, Hendricks was able to be a part of three Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Raiders. The first was in 1976, then again in 1980, and his third in 1984. He was a core part of the team behind one of the most successful periods in Raiders history.

During his career, Hendricks was named to the First-Team All-Pro list four times and the Second-Team list an additional two times. Additionally, Hendricks was named to eight total Pro Bowls during his time in the NFL. He also holds the rare honor of being listed on two NFL All-Decade teams for his efforts in both the 1970s and 1980s. He tallied 61 sacks over the course of his career, along with 26 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries. He’s since earned a position in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mentions

• George Atkinson
• Fred Biletnikoff
• Cliff Branch
• Todd Christensen
• Rich Gannon
• Lester Hayes
• Mike Haynes
• Rod Martin
• Jack Tatum
• Steve Wisniewski

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