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NFL Draft: Raiders need OT Trevor Penning in the 1st Round

By Mario O. Tovar

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Oakland Raiders during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Oakland Raiders during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 20: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks off the field after being injured in the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 20, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 20: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks off the field after being injured in the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 20, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) /

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.

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