Lss Vegas Raiders: Alex Leatherwood invited to NFLPA Rookie Premiere
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders made seven selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, but only one was named to this year’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere class.
For nearly 30 years, the NFLPA has been putting together a Rookie Premiere Class for first-year players entering the NFL. These players are labeled as the most marketable faces in the incoming class, and for the Las Vegas Raiders, only one player was included in the 60-player class.
The Raiders 2021 class featured some exciting talent, including Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood, their first-round selection, and Tre’Von Moehrig, who the team traded up in the second round to get. Either would have been solid inclusions to this year’s class, but it was Leatherwood who ended up being honored.
Raiders Alex Leatherwood invited to the 2021 NFLPA Rookie Premiere Class
Being included in the 2021 NFLPA Rookie Premiere is an honor, and it makes sense that it would be Leatherwood who would be picked. The Raiders had an enormous hole at the right tackle position after trading away Trent Brown, and while Leatherwood may have been a surprising pick at the time, he may become an anchor for this line, much like Kolton Miller.
For the Raiders to do anything of substance this season, they have to be strong up front, and Leatherwood is a big piece to a revamped offensive line. Rodney Hudson is gone, as is Gabe Jackson as well, so what was once a strength of this team has turned into a real question mark this offseason.
Luckily for the Raiders, they have one of the better offensive line coaches in football in Tom Cable, and they have brought enough talent in to make up for the losses.
Leatherwood has the size and strength to be a solid right tackle at the next level, and he will have to be, as the Silver and Black play some elite edge rushers in 2021. The offensive line was banged up for most of the 2020 season as well, so hopefully, the group up front, including Leatherwood, can stay healthy and dominate this Fall.