Las Vegas Raiders pre-2021 NFL Draft position review: Offensive Line
Las Vegas Raiders pre-2021 NFL Draft position review: Offensive Line
Possible targets and what round to address the position
As discussed, the Raiders have all 5 starters on the offensive line ready to go if the season was to start tomorrow but still have room for upgrades at 4 of the 5 positions. Richie Incognito is almost 40, Andre James is an unknown, Denzelle Good is a solid player but can be upgraded, and Brandon Parker has not shown that he was worth a third-round pick so far.
Because of the need for upgrades to the starters and a major need for better backups, the Raiders have been linked to several of the top offensive line prospects in the draft. Depending on how the top 15 picks shake out, mocks have linked the Raiders to players like OT Teven Jenkins, IOL Alijah Vera-Tucker, and several other big-name players.
We expect the Raiders to pick a defensive player with the 17th pick but there would be little surprise if they chose an offensive tackle instead at that slot. This is a very strong class and there will be several first round-caliber players available in the second round as well but the Raiders could have their hearts set on one particular player. The team has not shied away from picking players they really want even if it goes against popular opinion.
The Raiders should have plenty of options if they choose to go defense early and address the offensive line in the third round or later as this is a very deep class for both interior lineman and tackles. Some of the later round prospects include the likes of Sam Cosmi from Texas, Trey Hill from Georgia, or Ryan Neuzil from Appalachian State.
If the Raiders are not sold on Brandon Parker as the starter at RT and want to keep Good at RG, we can expect them to use an early pick on a player they project as a week one starter. Even if Parker is the starter at first, they will want a player that they believe is ready to contribute right away as a swing tackle and could use a second or third round pick to fill that need.
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The more likely scenario is the Raiders getting their starting RT in the first round and using the rest of their Day 2 picks to build up the defense. Or if they go defense first, then that second-round pick will almost surely be used to draft one of these young and talented offensive linemen.