Football games are won and lost in the trenches, and for the Las Vegas Raiders, those two groups will be paramount in 2022.
Arguably the most discussed position groups of the offseason were the Raiders’ offensive and defensive lines. For the offensive side, there were many questions about what the team would do to fix a poor offensive line that plagued the team for much of 2021.
Heading into the offseason, there was a lot of discussions that the Raiders needed to add at least two offensive linemen in free agency or the draft. Well, with the Raiders trading their top two picks for Davante Adams, the only upgrades remained in free agency.
The Raiders’ opted to re-sign 2022 starting right tackle Brandon Parker to a sizable deal as well as re-sign Jermaine Elumenor and draft Dylan Parham. These moves seem to be a bit underwhelming, but the Raiders seem to be banking on a new coaching staff getting the best out of these players.
On the defensive front, there was once again a ton of turnover. Much like last offseason, the new defensive coordinator and accompanying scheme lead the Raiders to overhaul much of their interior defensive line, replacing some fan favorites and productive players with some options that don’t draw excitement.
The Raiders’ pass rush was arguably the most effective group on the team last year, so the changes will need to be impactful to hold off criticism. Let’s take a look at who I think will make up these position groups come opening day against the Chargers.