10 college tackles the Las Vegas Raiders should watch in 2022

Protecting the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback for the foreseeable future is still the team’s priority. Looking ahead to next year’s NFL draft, the team will likely need to find a long-term solution at the right tackle slot.

Quarterback Derek Carr will be under center for the Raiders for at least three years, possibly more, as No. 4 will likely retire in Silver and Black. This past offseason saw a change of the guard with regard to who’s running the Raiders. New general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have laid out their vision for the future, and it includes winning with Carr.

To do that, the offensive line will need to be addressed.

As far as 2022 goes, the duo is bringing back last year’s unit while making some rookie additions, most notably Dylan Parham and Thayer Munford. Regrettably, the right tackle position still needs a future stalwart. That statement will be even more true if Alex Leatherwood moves inside to right guard, a position he’s better suited for.

Jermaine Eluemunor has the advantage of having played for McDaniels and is familiar with the system he’s bringing with him. In fact, he had some respectable seasons in 2019 and 2020 under the new Raiders head coach when he was the New England Patriots offensive coordinator. Per Pro Football Focus, Eluemunor’s pass blocking was notable, earning 76.6 and 70.3 grades in that department those two years, respectively.

Brandon Parker, who figures to compete for playing time with Eluemunor, has made 32 starts for the Raiders since 2018. By no means is he a long-term solution, but he’ll likely help to fill out the right tackle position by platoon in 2022. That means that drafting a right tackle next year might be the most likely scenario by the time the 2023 NFL draft rolls around. Luckily for Las Vegas, there’s an abundance of talent that will be available.

Let’s take a look at our first group of college tackles that the Raiders should keep an eye on.