How bad do the Raiders really need O-line help?
Reviewing the starters on the offensive line.
The Raiders’ starting offensive line doesn’t contain many household names, but it doesn’t have to. There’s a great mix of youth and potential, topped by a touch of veteran stability.
We’ll start with the veteran left tackle, Kolton Miller.
I’m not going to spend too much time talking about the 26-year-old as we both know Miller is a franchise left tackle. Former general manager Mike Mayock agreed with that sentiment when he gave Miller an extension, marking the first time a Raiders’ first-round pick has received a second contract since Darren McFadden. McDaniels followed suit by playing every offensive lineman except Miller in the preseason.
There’s a reason the UCLA alum is so highly regarded. During both the ’20 and ’21 seasons, Miller earned extraordinary pass blocking grades north of 80 via Pro Football Focus. Kolton has made a noticeable jump each season, and if that continues in 2022, we very well may be taking Pro Bowl; or better yet, the NFL Top-100 list.
John Simpson and Lester Cotton appear to be the frontrunners for the two guard spots, with Simpson on the left and Cotton playing right of the center.
Simpson struggled last year, most notably when trying to carve out running lanes. The fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft allowed only 3 sacks through the entity of the season but received an awful run blocking grade of 46.5. The 10 penalties he committed were mind-numbing as well. Still, Simpson proved he could protect Carr, and that’s the biggest worry in Las Vegas.
Cotton is a camp standout who went from cut candidate in ’21 to starter for the ’22 season. It’s been a complete 180 for the 6’4 guard as he’s improved his craft by leaps and bounds.
Let’s talk about just how far Cotton has come. Through last year’s preseason, the former Alabama offensive lineman posted a downright embarrassing pass blocking grade of 32.2. Leading up to the first preseason contest against Minnesota, Cotton had already shown his coaches he was a completely new player. Now, up to this point, his pass blocking grade has jumped from 32.2 in ’21, to 78.2 for ’22.
Andre James is manning the center position heading into the new year. Despite the awful start to his ’21 campaign, James was sensational through the latter half of the season. In fact, between weeks 7 and 15, there were only 5 centers graded higher than the Raider directly in front of Derek Carr.
James also showed great promise as a pass blocker, allowing a team-low 2 sacks in 1,139 snaps.
The summary: these players have all proved they can protect Carr – aside from Cotton, who has been exceptional during both camp and the preseason. The biggest struggle for Las Vegas last season was the play on the right side, with both the right guard and tackle. Newcomer Lester Cotton fills in at guard, and at tackle.
Well, let’s talk about that.