Oakland Raiders offensive line becoming one of the NFL’s best

Aug 28, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) against the Seattle Seahawks at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Gabe Jackson

At the left guard position, second-year standout Gabe Jackson has been dominating defenses. Over the past two games, Jackson has earned a +9.2 grade. That grade is the highest grade among all guards in the NFL, further proving that general manager Reggie McKenzie got one of the steals of the draft when he selected Jackson in the third round out of Mississippi State in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Jackson isn’t a one trick pony either, typically when a player has a grade this high, he excels greatly at one aspect but is average in another. Jackson is the highest rated in Pass Blocking with a +3.1 and in Run Blocking with a +5.7 grade. Jackson was drafted for his elite road grading ability in the run game to open up holes for Latavius Murray, but as his PFF grade indicates he has added a pretty respectable pass blocking grade to his resumé

Everyone expected great things from the left side of this offensive line, and they are delivering. With Jackson and Penn, the Raiders have the most solid left side of any offensive line in the league. Luckily for fans, Jackson could be around for a long time as a franchise player on the interior of the offensive line as one of the best draft picks McKenzie has ever made.

Next: Offensive Line Breakdown: Rodney Hudson