Las Vegas Raiders: Could Thayer Munford Jr. crack the starting lineup?

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of their first real week of training camp, as the pads came on this Tuesday. Last season, the Raiders struggled through a six-win season, and after so much change within the roster, the expectations by most of the national media are not good.

However, despite the expectations being low, that does not mean that the competition is not high at training camp this summer. In fact, this Raiders roster has more depth and talent than it has in quite some time, and we are seeing incredible position group battles going on each and every time the team takes the field.

Going into training camp, the offensive line seemed to have some competition on the interior, as multiple players were vying for the starting offensive guard spot opposite Dylan Parham. Parham is considered a cornerstone player for the Raiders along the offensive line, but their anchor, Kolton Miller is the unquestioned leader of the unit.

Last season, Jermaine Eluemunor started opposite Miller at right tackle, and performed well enough for the team to bring him back on a new deal this offseason. While he is back, could a second-year player take his starting job this summer?

Raiders giving Thayer Munford Jr. first-team reps

Tashan Reed from the Athletic recently put out a piece with his notes on training camp, and he made a point to point out that Thayer Munford Jr. has been the starting right tackle during 11-on-11 workouts. That is a big jump for Munford, but also a bad sign for Eluemunor, who was supposed to have this job locked down.

It is not often that you get so much from a seventh-round pick, but Munford was not just your average seventh-rounder, as he possessed the size and skill to play at the next level. A towering presence, Munford was a star at Ohio State, helping anchor a line that sent so many pros to the NFL on offense, and he is certainly taking advantage of his opportunity in Las Vegas.

Before last year, Eluemunor was a journeyman offensive tackle that was supposed to give the Raiders depth, and with the rise of Munford, that could end up being his role in 2023.