Raiders young core makes them NFL’s premier head coach landing spot
The offense
On the offensive side of the ball, the Las Vegas Raiders will have some work to do this off-season. The wide receiver room definitely needs some retooling and the offensive line will need to be reassessed. One member of this offensive line requires very little thought, however.
That of course would be left tackle, Kolton Miller.
Selected out of UCLA in the 2018 NFL Draft, Kolton Miller was considered by many to be one of the biggest reaches of the draft. An athletic specimen for the position, he still had a lot to learn. This showed early on in his NFL career as Miller was one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL. Per PFF, he finished with a 48.2 grade and allowed a league-leading sixteen sacks. He was also second in the NFL with 65 pressures allowed.
Regardless, he battled through the injuries and poor play to become a crucial part of the Las Vegas offense. Credited with just four sacks allowed in 2021, PFF gave him an 84.2 overall grade. After signing a three-year, 54-million dollar contract, Miller will be sticking around in Vegas.
Of course, the Raiders’ best player resides on the offensive side of the ball as well. Through three years in the Silver and Black, Darren Waller is already a household name in the NFL. A true match-up nightmare when healthy he is easily a top-three tight end in the NFL.
Last season, the former Pro Bowler suffered through injuries but in 2019 and 2020 he had over 1,100 receiving yards. His 2020 season was especially noteworthy as he had a franchise record of 107 catches to go along with nine touchdowns.
Currently playing on a contract that puts him at 254th in terms of AAV, the Raiders will likely have to renegotiate with their superstar.
And let us not forget Hunter Renfrow, a 2019 draft pick that has come out of nowhere to be one of the top wideouts in the NFL. Renfrow topped 100 catches in 2021 and should be a mainstay on this roster for years to come.