Oakland Raiders: Midseason grades for the 2018 rookie class
By Brad Weiss
![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)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjustblogbaby-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F08-2F1022901474-850x560-9b177434c5a9dff8c1b843362335505384d8448b60d8534ed36ad7b78c9c8c29.jpg)
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.