The Las Vegas Raiders have made several moves up front along the offensive line, and keeping Kolton Miller locked up to 2025 was a smart one.
Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders franchise for the 2018 NFL season and was inheriting a team heading in the wrong direction. After being a playoff team in 2016, the team faltered in 2017, and the roster was riddled with bad contracts and an extreme lack of talent.
With his first draft pick since returning, Jon Gruden turned a few heads when he made UCLA’s Kolton Miller the No. 15 overall selection in 2018. The then-Oakland Raiders had issues on both sides of the ball, but they did still have a solid left tackle in Donald Penn, a player who would be moved to the right side with Miller’s arrival.
The early returns were terrible, as Miller battled inconsistent play and injuries during Year 1, but he responded in a big way in 2019. Last season, Miller was a key on an offensive line that struggled to stay healthy, and for his efforts, the franchise has rewarded him handsomely this offseason.
Raiders lock in Miller until the 2025 season
On Tuesday, Miller and the Raiders agreed on a three-year extension, a contract that will keep him in the Silver and Black through the 2025 season. The contract makes him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL and comes with over $40 million in guaranteed money.
Needless to say, Miller was excited about the deal.
Raider Nation, we are just getting started! So excited for the future, let’s get to work ‼️ pic.twitter.com/IfctV12ut0
— Kolton Miller (@kolton_miller) March 30, 2021
Only 25 years old, Miller has proven to be well worth the first-round selection across his three seasons in the league, starting 46 games for the Raiders. This was an incredibly smart move by the franchise, as he is a home-grown talent, is coming into his prime, and has already proven he can be a franchise left tackle.
This offseason, the Raiders have now made long-term investments in two of their young offensive linemen, the first, Andre James, and with Miller now locked up for the foreseeable future, the vision is becoming clearer. Gruden has not done a great job selecting in the first round since returning, but Miller was a home run, and will now be with him until the 2025 NFL season.