Oakland Raiders: Kolton Miller is developing into an elite NFL tackle in 2019
By Nick Ellis
Kolton Miller had a rough rookie season last year for the Oakland Raiders but after five games of his sophomore season, he is living up to expectations.
Kolton Miller struggled heavily in his rookie season, allowing more sacks than any other player in the league. When Jon Gruden drafted him in the first round in 2018, most fans were not only surprised but were angry about the pick.
Everyone knew that Miller was extremely athletic for his size, as he showed at UCLA in college, but it was not transferring to the NFL. With the 2019 season approaching, it was do or die for Miller in many people’s eyes, and so far, he has delivered.
Miller has performed at an elite level so far this season, proving everyone who doubted him wrong, and proving Jon Gruden right. So far this season, Miller has allowed two sacks in the first five games, but he also has shut down players such as Von Miller and Khalil Mack.
In the Week 5 matchup against the Bears, Miller faced 32 pass rush attempts and did not allow a single sack or pressure against the best defense in the NFL. Among those 32 attempts, 21 of those came against Khalil Mack. If a player can protect their quarterback against Khalil Mack 21 times, it is safe to not only consider them worth the first-round pick but possibly even say they are elite.
If Miller played like this his rookie season, he would have gotten as much praise as Colts guard Quenton Nelson last season. In just his second season, Miller has shown that he can protect Derek Carr against the best of the best. This offense is going to revolve around the offensive line, and so far, the entire line has produced.
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Everyone who said that Kolton Miller was a bust are being forced to eat their words so far, and if Miller and the rest of the offensive line can continue to play the way they have the last two weeks, the sky is the limit for Oakland.