Kolton Miller rounding into an elite offensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders

While the pick was not popular in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Kolton Miller is rounding into an elite player for the Oakland Raiders.

When the Oakland Raiders selected UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, not many in Raider Nation were happy about it. The team passed on guys like Derwin James and Leighton Vander Esch, two men who not only fill a need, but are already Pro Bowlers in the NFL.

During his rookie season, Miller struggled mightily to stay healthy, and that led to him being unproductive on the playing field. Still, he played in all 16 games, playing through incredible pain, showing the coaching staff that he could be relied upon at the left tackle position.

In 2019, it has been a completely different story for Miller, who is healthy, and playing at a Pro Bowl level right now. Since shutting down the combination of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in a season opening win against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, Miller has allowed only two sacks, and is becoming one of the better left tackles in the game.

To understand how special this is, you have to look back at last season, where he allowed a league-high 16 sacks, and a league-high 65 pressures. To be fair, he was playing injured, and was a rookie starting at the left tackle position at the NFL level.

He came to camp this summer bigger, stronger, and more agile, as his injuries had finally been put in the rearview mirror. Now, he and the rest of his offensive line teammates have become one of the best in the business, and the wins are starting to come for the Silver and Black.

Of course, Miller has his help, as the team went out and signed Trent Brown to a record-setting deal this offseason. The left tackle for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in 2018, many believed his signing would move Miller to to the right side, but instead, Brown went back to the right side, where he is arguably the best in the game.

Having Miller and Brown as the bookends has completely changed the narrative around this Raiders offensive line, which allowed Derek Carr to be sacked over 50 times last season. For Miller, he just continues to put in the work, getting better every day, and no longer must fans be worried about him being dominated on Sundays.

There is a good chance that the Raiders get Brown back in Week 8, putting the team’s offensive line at full strength for the first time all season. With rookie Josh Jacobs rounding into one of the elite running backs in the game, this Raiders offense has a chance to be special, and Miller has become a cornerstone of the group up front on that side of the ball.