NFL Draft: Raiders need OT Trevor Penning in the 1st Round
Carr needs better protection, make Penning the pick in April
Unless something drastic occurs, Carr will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2022. This means that fine-tuning the offensive line needs to take precedent. The left side of the ball is set with Kolton Miller, but the right tackle spot was a mess in 2021. None of the players that started at the position are viable long-term answers.
Even though Alex Leatherwood was drafted to fill the position, he will likely be the team’s starting right guard next season. Penning could perhaps come in and be the Day 1 starter. Granted, he isn’t perfect, but he would have more upside than, say, Brandon Parker.
When I mentioned that Penning isn’t perfect, I wasn’t lying. One big concern in his film is that he gets up quickly from his stance. This could be a big problem when facing NFL-level pass rushers on the outside. This could be especially troublesome in the AFC West, which is home to so many vaunted pass rushers.
Like any deficiency, though, this can be corrected with coaching and experience. Luckily for Penning, this red flag is outweighed by his hands and ability to use raw strength in manhandling edge defenders, as the Draft Network pointed out.