Oakland Raiders Team Awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year, and more

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass during the second half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass during the second half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 10: Kolton Miller #77 of the Oakland Raiders blocks Chad Meredith #59 of the Detroit Lions during the first quarter of their NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 10: Kolton Miller #77 of the Oakland Raiders blocks Chad Meredith #59 of the Detroit Lions during the first quarter of their NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kolton Miller

Kolton Miller was the Raiders first round selection in 2018, and when he was healthy, he certainly played like one. Earning the starting left tackle job out of training camp, Miller ended up starting all 16 games for the Raiders, sometimes on only one leg.

Moving forward, Miller is only going to get better, and stronger, and should be the left tackle for the Raiders for the foreseeable future. It is not easy to play as a rookie in this league, and to do it week in and week out as a starting left tackle is worth the praise of being the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Maurice Hurst

When the Raiders made Maurice Hurst their fifth round pick in 2018, a lot of people raised their eyebrows. A heart issue was detected during the NFL Scouting Combine, but Hurst was cleared, and the Raiders made sure that he would be healthy enough to be a contributing player in the NFL.

During his rookie season,  Hurst was more than just a contributor, as he led the Raiders in sacks, while showing the kind of promise that made him a first round talent before the heart issue came up. Moving forward, he is going to be an anchor on a very young, but talented Raiders defense, and should only improve from here.