7 Best Raiders of All Time, Ranked

During this modern online sports betting era, the Raiders (both Oakland and Las Vegas) haven’t seen much success, but there was a time when, if NFL betting were available online, they would’ve been the center of attention. 

Between 1976 and 1983, the Raiders won three Super Bowls (XI, XV, and XVIII), and according to their football odds, they were underdogs in two of them (XV and XVIII).

They did make Super Bowl XXXVIII, but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Still, the Raiders have been around since 1960, and there have been numerous talented players to gear the silver and black. 

But here, I’m narrowing it down to seven. 

See my rankings of the best Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas Raiders ever below.

7 Best Raiders of All Time, Ranked

1. Gene Upshaw

Upshaw is perhaps the epitome of an offensive lineman. He possessed excellent leadership skills and played in 217 straight games, and if you include the postseason, 231. 

He was part of the Super Bowl XI and XV squads and was an AFL Champion in 1967. He was a three-time first-team All-Pro, two-time first-team All-AFL, five-time second-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-AFL, a six-time Pro Bowler, and an AFL All-Star. 

Outlaw wants no part of Gene Upshaw (can’t blame him).#Raiders @NFLMAVERICK pic.twitter.com/NDt7roQzA5

— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) April 9, 2023

Upshaw is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Art Shell

Another offensive lineman, Shell played for the Raiders from 1968 to 1982. During that time, he won three Super Bowls with the team, was two-time first-team All-Pro, two-time second-team All-Pro, and went to eight Pro Bowls. 

He became the second African American head coach in NFL history in 1989 when he was named interim head coach of the Raiders. He then became the full-time head coach in 1990 and was there through 1994. 

Today, Shell is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

3. Fred Biletnikoff

A member of the Raiders from 1965 through 1978, Biletnikoff finished his career with 589 catches for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns. These are all second most in franchise history, trailing only Tim Brown. Biletnikoff held most of these records for nearly two decades. 

With the Raiders, he was part of the 1967 AFL Championship team, won Super Bowl XI, was the MVP of that game after catching four passes for 79 yards, received one first-team All-Pro and first-team All-AFL nod, went to four Pro Bowls, was a two-time AFL All-Star, and led the league in receptions in 1971. 

He’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, and there’s an award named after him, the Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football. 

4. Marcus Allen

Allen leads the Raiders in all rushing categories after running 2,090 times for 8,545 yards and 79 touchdowns. 

He was a member of the Super Bowl XVIII squad and was named MVP of the game after rushing 20 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns. 

Allen was voted NFL MVP in 1985 after rushing for 1,759 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 67 catches for another 555 yards and three scores. 

That same year, he was also named Offensive Player of the Year. 

Other accolades include NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, two-time first-team All-Pro, a second-team All-Pro nod, five Pro Bowls, and led the league in rushing touchdowns twice, in rushing yards once, and also once in scoring. 

He’s enshrined in the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame. 

5. Howie Long

Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Long was on the team during the Super Bowl XVIII win. In 1985, he was named the Newspaper Enterprise Association co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a two-time first-team All-Pro, a second-team All-Pro, and went to eight Pro Bowls. 

He finished his career with 91.5 sacks, two interceptions, and 10 fumble recoveries. I went with Long over Raiders sack leader Greg Townsend due to his additional accolades, including a Defensive Player of the Year award. 

6. Ken Stabler

While Derek Carr passed Stabler’s passing records, Stabler is by far the most decorated Raiders quarterback in franchise history. 

Playing there from 1970 to 1979, Stabler was part of the Super Bowl XI squad, completing 12 of 19 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown in the title game. 

Additionally, he was named NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Pro in 1974. He also received a second-team All-Pro nod, went to four Pro Bowls, led the league in passing touchdowns and completion percentage twice, and won the Bert Bell Award. 

He finished his career with a record of 69-26-1, 19,078 passing yards, and 150 touchdown passes. 

His 69 wins are the most among any Raiders quarterback in franchise history. 

7. Tim Brown

I mentioned Brown earlier, and he’s here to round out my list. 

Playing in 240 games for the Raiders across three decades (1988 to 2003), Brown amassed 1,070 receptions on 1,612 targets for 14,734 yards and 99 touchdowns. He also had 320 returns for 3,272 yards and three scores. 

Every stat I just mentioned is a Raiders record. 

While he didn’t win a Super Bowl with the team, he was second-team All Pro, a nine-time Pro Bowler, was the co-lead for receptions in 1997, and was the kickoff yards return leader in 1988. 

He’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.