The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2025 NFL season hoping for a massive improvement from their offensive line. The projected starting unit of Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze has plenty of upside, but just as many questions.
While the unit performed very well against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the preseason, there is still work to do as Las Vegas looks to improve a rushing attack that ranked last in yards and 28th in touchdowns last season. The Raiders' offensive line struggled just as much in the passing game, as their 50 sacks allowed were tied for the seventh-most in the NFL.
Las Vegas is hopeful that the unit can resemble the group that took the field in 2016, when the Raiders had three members of the offensive line reach the Pro Bowl and the franchise won its most games since 2000. Donald Penn, who played left tackle and was one of those Pro Bowlers, recently revealed what he hopes to see from this year's group.
Former Raiders Pro Bowler Donald Penn discusses the offensive line
Penn spent five years with the Raiders, earning two Pro Bowl selections. While he joined the then-Washington Redskins for the final year of his career, he embodied the phrase "Once a Raider, Always a Raider" as he signed a one-day contract to retire with the Silver and Black.
Penn, who grew up a Raiders fan, was on hand for the preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Speaking with Sean Zittel of Vegas Sports Today, Penn weighed in on the Raiders' current offensive line and made an honest assessment of what they need to do better.
"We got to get better. We got to get more consistent. We got to get better. We got to see what these young guys are going to do, so I'm excited to watch and see how they've been. I haven't been to training camp. Kolton Miller is still doing a great job anchoring the offensive line, but I want to see the offensive line get a little bit more tougher," Penn said. "I want to see us enforce ourselves, assert ourselves a little bit more, protect our guys. Not get stupid penalties doing it, but we need to be a little more tougher, a little more nastier. When I played, guys knew you better bring your lunch pail when you're playing against us. I don't think they know that about our offensive line now, so I'm hoping Pete Carroll is going to bring that mentality and we can get back to that tough, hard-nosed, running the ball football, and if we do that, we're going to be alright."
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The Raiders' offensive line impressed in Week 2 of the preseason; however, there is still plenty to prove before the unit can be considered a strength of the team. If the group is able to maintain its level of play, Las Vegas could go from one of the worst offenses in the league in 2024 to one of the best.
The addition of quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty should already lead to an improvement after the team finished 29th in scoring offense and 27th in total yards last season. Despite their struggles, the Raiders were one of just two teams to roster two 1,000-yard pass catchers, Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, in 2024.
If the offensive line is able to protect Smith and create running lanes for Jeanty, Las Vegas could be one of the league's biggest surprises. While Pete Carroll has not revealed who will start in Week 1, it is expected that Miller, Parham, Meredith, Powers-Johnson and Glaze will begin the season atop the depth chart.