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Oakland Raiders: Camp Position Battles To Watch

By Nick Hjeltness

May 31, 2016; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders players huddle at organized team activities at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2016; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders players huddle at organized team activities at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Austin Howard vs. Menelik Watson

Dec 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Austin Howard (77) during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 15-12. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Austin Howard (77) during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 15-12. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Looking at Oakland’s roster, there are probably just two starting positions that aren’t locked down. Insider linebacker being one, and then right tackle being the other.

Austin Howard is one of the most polarizing players on the roster — opinions on him have quite a wide range — while Menelik Watson is still more about what he can be rather than what he is.

There may not be a clear favorite for the starter, but the coaching staff may prefer Watson. At the Owner’s Meetings, Del Rio had this to say:

"“They’re both returning from injury from last year. Menelik is going to be first to return, Austin will return a little later in the offseason. They’re both guys that showed they could play at a high level. Menelik was probably ahead at the point he was injured. Austin stepped in and really had a good year for us.”"

The second to last line is the one that stands out, about Menelik being ahead before he ruptured his achilles. Watson was pegged as the starter in camp and in the preseason, and finally began to look like the right tackle the team hoped he would be when they drafted him in the second round.

But with his injury history starting to pile up, and especially due to the severity of last year’s injury, it’s hard to say how reliable Menelik will be going forward. With that being said, if Menelik can’t go due to injury or if Howard simply just earns the job, the team should be in good shape.

PFF loved Howard in 2015, grading him as the 15th best offensive tackle and as the 3rd best right tackle. My opinion on him isn’t nearly that high, but he certainly wasn’t as bad as many fans think. Howard’s disastrous 2014 season where he played mostly at guard definitely has contributed to the negative opinion of him amongst the fanbase, but he’s been much better at right tackle.

I hope Menelik can stay healthy and win the job. He’s still just 27, and if he can live up to his draft slot, that will give the Raiders another young piece to build on.

Next: Raiders Camp Battle #3

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