During the 2018 NFL Draft, the Raiders surprised a lot of draft analysts after trading down from No. 10 to No. 15 to select left tackle Kolton Miller. Many wanted the Raiders to select Minkah Fitzpatrick or Derwin James with their first-round pick. Instead, Jon Gruden had a different idea as he wanted to rebuild the offensive line.
While Miller doesn’t have the accolades of a Fitzpatrick or James, he’s been an important part of their team. He’s improved dramatically over the last three years and is developing into one of the league’s better left tackles.
In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, they predicted whether or not each team would pick up the fifth-year options on their draft picks from the 2018 class. For the Raiders, that seems like a forgone conclusion for Miller. Here is what the site had to say about the team’s franchise left tackle:
“Many criticized this draft pick from the Raiders, and Miller’s rookie season only emboldened that judgment. However, Miller has shown steady improvement each season to become a solid blindside protector for Derek Carr in the passing game. Miller has been the “project” pick that some predicted, but the project is right on schedule and trending upward.”
Miller is developing exactly the way the Raiders thought despite a few injuries. Look for the Raiders to pick up his fifth-year option next spring and to soon discuss a long-term extension with the former UCLA tackle.
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