Oakland Raiders All-50 team: Defensive line

July 7, 1:49 AMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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  Derrick Burgess is marginal for this list.
Photo by Patrick A. Patterson

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Now that the candidates for the offensive side of the ball have been looked at, its time to take a look at the defense. Today's entry, the defensive line has an illustrious history in Silver and Black. For many years, these were the guys who lived and died by the motto "the quarterback must go down, and go down hard."

Ben Davidson: The big defensive lineman with the bushy handle bar mustache was a headache for opposing quarterbacks. His most famous moment was his spearing of Chiefs' quarterback Len Dawson that spurred a brawl between the two teams, however that was indicative of his style of play.

John Matuszak: "The Tooz" was the personification of everything Oakland Raiders. He played hard and partied harder. He had bounced around the league as a talented outcast who found his home in Oakland.

Otis Sistrunk: The famed graduate of the University of Mars was a disruptor in his own right, and was a key piece of Raider dominance in the 70s.

Howie Long: Long earned his way into the Hall of Fame by destroying opposing offensive players for 13 years. He accumulated 91.5 sacks along the way.

Reggie Kinlaw: Kinlaw is not the household name like these other guys, but he was the force in the middle of the Raiders 3-4 defense as they won Super Bowls XV and XVIII. He was a big part of the Raiders defense stifiling the running of John Riggins in XVIII.

Lyle Alzado: Alzado was the successor to the Tooz in being the madman of the Raiders defensive line. He combined with Long and Townsend to form a devastating pass rushing defensive line.

Greg Townsend: Townsend is the Raiders career leader in sacks. After the retirement of Alzado, he and Long formed a fearsome pass rushing duo..

Chester McGlockton: With the negativity surrounding his departure from the Silver and Black in free agency, it is easy to forget just how good he was. In his six years as a Raider he was named All Pro 3 times and played in four Pro Bowls.

Derrick Burgess: Burgess is one of the top sack leaders in Raider history. When the Raiders brought him over from the Eagles, he flourished by having consecutive Pro Bowl seasons with double digit sacks.