Ranking the Oakland Raiders Training Camp Roster: 20-11

9 of 11

Sep 21, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Oakland Raiders tackle Donald Penn (72) during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

13. Donald Penn

When the Raiders were in pursuit of Kelechi Osemele, that left Penn’s status up in the air, since Osemele has LT experience. There was also some question about how interested the Raiders were in brining Penn back, but the fanbase was able to breathe a sigh of relief when news broke that Penn would be back.

When Jared Veldheer left Oakland, there was serious concern about the left tackle spot. Penn, already considered to be at the end of his prime, has been a godsend. He’s arguably been better than Veldheer over that same time, he’s been cheaper, and Penn has that mean streak that you love to see in offensive lineman.

He did start to wear down in the second half of the season, but that seemed to be the case with most of the team. Osemele joining the mix should make everyone else’s job on the offensive line a little easier, so hopefully Penn can stay fresh and keep up a high level of play for the entire season.

– Nick Hjeltness

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