Las Vegas Raiders: 50 greatest players in franchise history

The Raiders have had a proud history at the tight end position. The first guy we’ll have to mention on this all-time list that played tight end for the Raiders is none other than Raymond Chester. Chester was taken No. 24 overall in the 1970 NFL Draft out of Morgan State. He would play seven of his 12 NFL seasons with the Silver and Black over two stints.

Right out of the gate, Chester would be one of the best tight ends in all of football. He made a Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league. Chester had at least 28 receptions for 442 yards and seven touchdowns in his first three years with the Raiders. He was a preeminent red-zone target for sure in his early 20s.

Then, Chester got the wise idea of returning to his native Baltimore to play for the hometown Colts. He would spend the next five seasons in Baltimore where he was largely marginalized in the passing game. However, Chester would return to Oakland in 1978 and play four more seasons before retiring after the 1981 campaign.

Chester would make his fourth and final trip to the Pro Bowl in 1979, where he set career highs in receptions (58) and yards (712), matching a career-high in touchdowns with eight. He would help the Raiders win Super Bowl XV over the Philadelphia Eagles in 1980. Had Chester played his entire NFL career with the Raiders, he might have accumulated enough stats to be Canton bound. He retired with 216 catches for 2,891 yards and 37 touchdowns in seven seasons with the Raiders.