Las Vegas Raiders: 15 greatest offensive linemen in franchise history
(1974-86). Henry Lawrence. 7. player. 28. . RT
Best offensive lineman in Raiders history: 7. Henry Lawrence
Another first-round selection of the Raiders, Henry Lawrence was selected No. 19 overall out of Florida A&M in the 1974 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 270 pound Lawrence would be a bit small in today’s game, but in his era, he was massive.
His muscular frame allowed him to bully players, both in pass protection and run blocking. However, his best attribute was his ability to swing or extend to the second level and block on run plays.
The Raiders played a smash mouth style of football in the 1970s and 1980s, a style predicated on dominating the game in the trenches. Lawrence, alongside legends that will appear later on this all-time list, played a huge part in creating and maintaining that hard-nosed Raiders identity.
After biding his time on the bench for three seasons, Lawrence finally got his chance to start, as he replaced John Vella at the right tackle position. Beginning in 1977, Lawrence held down the right tackle position and he would not cede that role until 1986 when he retired. He maintained his starting position for a decade, and even moved with the team from Oakland to Los Angeles.
13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Silver and Black, Lawrence appeared in 187 games including 148 starts, enough for 11th all-time in appearances for the franchise.
Lawrence was a member of all three Super Bowl winning teams and was nominated to the Pro Bowl twice during his lengthy career. If not for some Hall of Famer caliber players in the next six slots, Lawrence would find himself higher up.