The Raiders selected Townsend in the 4th round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played in 174 regular season games with 90 starts in two stints with the Raiders wrapped around a year with the Eagles. Townsend recorded 107.5 sacks, three interceptions for 117 yards and one touchdown, forced 13 fumbles, and recovered seven fumbles, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He was also credited with two safeties. He was a key member of the Raiders Super Bowl XVIII championship team as a rookie. Townsend was selected for two Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 1990, 1991. Since the sack became an official statistic in 1982, Townsend leads all Raiders in this category.