The 10 most underrated players in Las Vegas Raiders history
By Brad Weiss
3. Underrated Raiders: Greg Townsend, Defensive End
With the No. 110 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Greg Townsend, a defensive end out of Texas Christian. Through the next 11 seasons, Townsend would round into one of the better edge rushers in the 1980s and early 1990s, teaming with Howie Long to form one of the more devastating tandems in league history.
A two-time Pro Bowler in 1990 and 1991, Townsend was twice named a second-team All-Pro and helped the Raiders to a victory in Super Bowl XVIII over the Washington Redskins. In his 11 years with the Raiders, Townsend racked up double-digit sacks seven times, and from 1983 through 1987, he collected 47.5 of them despite starting only five of his 77 games played.
His 109.5 sacks still rank No. 23 all-time in the statistical category in league history, but Townsend’s impact goes way beyond just how many times he was able to get after the quarterback. This is a guy who dominated every time he stepped on the field and is another in a long list of former Raiders who deserves Hall of Fame consideration years later.