Raiders: Ranking the top 5 offensive linemen in franchise history
By Allen Settle
The Las Vegas Raiders have seen some impressive offensive linemen don the silver and black.
The top quarterbacks, top running backs, and top receivers, in Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas Raiders history have all been ranked. This leaves just one major offensive position unaddressed — offensive linemen.
Historically, the offensive line is the most under-appreciated and misunderstood unit in football. It is the only position where casual fans and analysts alike struggle to determine a player’s value. There are no counting stats or other obvious methods of evaluation.
In fact, an offensive lineman can make a major impact on a game without appearing on the stat sheet or catching the attention of fans. More often than not, we only learn a lineman’s name when they are being called for a penalty.
However, in the case of the Raiders’ franchise, the offensive line is one of their deepest units. The team boasts some of the best talents in the history of the position.
How do these players stack up against one another? Let’s take a look by ranking the top-five linemen that have ever donned the silver and black.
Related Story. Raiders: Ranking the top 5 running backs in franchise history. light
5. Lincoln Kennedy, RT, Raiders
The choice between No. 5 and No. 6 can be excruciating on any top five list. It’s incredibly difficult to select one player to make the cut while leaving another off the list entirely.
In many cases, the difference is razor-thin. Ultimately, Lincoln Kennedy makes the final cut. However, since we’re dealing with a largely underappreciated position, I feel as though it is important to give credit to several different former Raiders who are worthy of consideration.
Talents like Dave Dalby, Henry Lawrence, Don Mosebar, Barret Robbins, George Buehler, Wayne Hawkins, and Harry Schuh each made a major impact on the franchise.
In the case of Kennedy, the former tackle was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders and played in Oakland from 1996-2003. Running backs like Napoleon Kaufman and Tyrone Wheatley found success by running behind the 6-foot-6, 325-pound force.