Will Dylan Parham be the Raiders most surprising rookie in 2022?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders need many players to step into a big role in 2022, but could Dylan Parham be the rookie that surprises the most?
The Las Vegas Raiders traded away their first and second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft for Davante Adams, a move they will surely live to love. Adams is widely regarded as the best wideout in the entire NFL, and this is a team that had a massive need atop the depth chart at the position group.
With that trade, however, it meant that the Silver and Black would have to wait until Day 2 to make their first selection, a pick they used on Memphis offensive lineman, Dylan Parham. After neglecting the offensive line for the most part during trades and free agency, Parham was a breath of fresh air during the draft and could make a real impact in Year 1.
Bleacher Report names Parham as Raiders’ top surprising rookie
Ian Wharton always does a tremendous job for Bleacher Report, and he recently named one surprising rookie for each NFL team. For the Silver and Black, the choice seemed like an easy one, as he picked their first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, third-round offensive lineman, Dylan Parham.
In the piece, Wharton discusses that Parham would be a perfect fit at left guard alongside Kolton Miller, by far the Raiders’ best offensive lineman. That would certainly help him as a rookie in terms of helping him through Year 1 struggles, as Miller is one of the better left tackles in the NFL, and has been through his own rookie struggles in the past.
One rookie I would keep an eye on, however, is running back Zaire White, who I believe will have a role within this offense, even in a loaded running back room. White is the kind of bruising back that could be a real red-zone weapon for head coach Josh McDaniels, and maybe it is Parham who clears a few holes for him on touchdown runs as rookies.