Oakland Raiders: Midseason grades for the 2018 rookie class

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 24: Arden Key #99 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after he sacked the quarterback against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 24: Arden Key #99 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after he sacked the quarterback against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CA – OCTOBER 07: Brandon Parker #75, and Rodney Hudson #61 block for Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders as he lunges forward on a running play as Justin Jones #91 of the Los Angeles Chargers defends during the second half of a game at StubHub Center on October 7, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – OCTOBER 07: Brandon Parker #75, and Rodney Hudson #61 block for Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders as he lunges forward on a running play as Justin Jones #91 of the Los Angeles Chargers defends during the second half of a game at StubHub Center on October 7, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Brandon Parker

The Oakland Raiders spent their first round pick on the offensive tackle position, so it was a bit of a surprise when they dipped into that position group for their third round pick. Brandon Parker was a bit of a shocking pick when the Raiders made him the 65th overall selection this past April, but he is a guy who is going to play a big role in their future.

The expectation for Parker coming into the regular season was that he would be able to sit behind Kolton Miller and Donald Penn, serving as a reserve. However, when Penn went down due to injury, he was forced into action, and has been the team’s starting right tackle since the Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Parker was a bit rushed in getting on the field, and has not played as well as Miller has early on. Still, he is a big, strong body, who may not be a starter in the NFL right now, but should develop into a very solid player down the road.

Grade: C-