Raiders: Biggest surprises from the 2022 NFL Draft

Raiders: Biggest surprises from the 2022 NFL Draft

Leatherwood back at RT?

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Raiders made a surprising pick by selecting Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood in the first round. The pick proved to be a reach in his rookie season, as Leatherwood struggled mightily, and ended up having to move inside towards the end of Year 1.

However, he has looked leaner in videos this offseason, and as a first-round pick, the hope is he can shake off a rough rookie season and become a starter again at offensive tackle. We saw Kolton Miller struggle in a big way as a rookie too, so maybe the plan is to give him another shot at right tackle.

With that said, barring any big moves in free agency or via a trade, Leatherwood should be the team’s starting right tackle in 2022. The team did draft Thayer Munford on Day 3, but he is more of a depth piece, and not someone they should seriously be thinking of starting as a rookie.

Las Vegas Raiders: Looking at the potential starting OL for 2022 Week 1

The Las Vegas Raiders will look a bit different along the offensive line next season, and here is what the starting unit could look like Week 1.

Overall, the talent the Raiders brought in across the three-day event was solid, and they are all players who can help this team as rookies this season. As always, even with new leadership, the Raiders surprised the fans with their draft process, but hopefully, David Ziegler and company made the right moves.