Oakland Raiders position group preview: Offensive Line

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: Center Rodney Hudson No. 61 of the Oakland Raiders waits to snap the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter on October 16, 2016 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Chiefs won 26-10. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: Center Rodney Hudson No. 61 of the Oakland Raiders waits to snap the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter on October 16, 2016 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Chiefs won 26-10. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 06: Rodney Hudson No. 61 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a touchdown against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 6, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 06: Rodney Hudson No. 61 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a touchdown against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 6, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The Oakland Raiders had one of the worst offensive line units, and it was a significant need this offseason. Was the issue resolved?

Looking at history, the Oakland Raiders had a top-4 offensive line in both 2016 and 2017. They were ranked  No.1 and No. 4 in pass blocking efficiency. So it might come as a surprise that they were one of the worst in the league in 2018.

If you think about it, the only significant difference from 2016 and 2017 to 2018 was they replaced Austin Howard and Marshall Newhouse, who were average, with first-round pick OT Kolton Miller.

Of course, the Raiders also had Donald Penn shift from LT to RT.

But overall, the core guys including Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, Kelechi Osemele, and Donald Penn were all still playing for Oakland. Because of this, in 2018 a ton of us fans had high hopes for the unit to keep dominating.

However, after a few injuries on the line, the line went from being pretty good to one of the worst in the league.