The Las Vegas Raiders traded down in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and were still able to get an elite player in Memphis IOL Dylan Parham.
The Raiders’ draft has finally begun.
The Las Vegas Raiders spent the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL draft studying their draft board for the 86th pick, which marked their first selection in this year’s NFL draft. When the 86th pick came, they shipped it to Tennessee in exchange for the 90th and 169th overall picks. The Titans drafted QB Malik Willis in the process.
As many had hoped, the Silver and Black elected to tackle their weakest unit on the roster, rolling with interior offensive lineman Dylan Parham out of Memphis.
Parham is interesting – Despite playing both tackle and guard in college, many scouts suspect the future is at center for the 6’3 offensive lineman. This creates many interesting paths the Raiders can stroll down, which may have been the deciding factor here.
Raiders got an elite player in Dylan Parham
Per Pro Football Focus’ big board, Parham is the 67th best player in this year’s draft, ranked as the fourth overall interior offensive lineman. He isn’t suspected to play tackle at the next level, but his 90.6 PFF grade last season at the position shows he can be plugged there in a pinch, which is always interesting in itself.
Overall, it’s hard to give this grade anything lower than an A. Not only did the Raiders attack their weakest unit, but they got a player who can play everywhere on the offensive line in the process. Furthermore, Parham could’ve flown off the board much earlier and no one would’ve thought twice about it.
Raiders: Players in danger of losing their starting jobs to 2022 draft picks
The Raiders have brought a lot of fire power to the roster this off-season, but the organization may not be done grabbing starters quite yet.
With an extra pick now at 169, we’ll see the final implications of the trade. As for the trade itself, the Raiders get the guy they surely pick at 86, with that extra pick in the process; Great pick, great trade, a great way to start the draft for the home team.
Grade: A