One of the biggest concerns heading into the season for the Raiders was the offensive line. With only one proven starter on the line (Kolton Miller), there wasn’t a lot of hope that this unit would be serviceable, especially after losing Brandon Parker (IR) and Alex Leatherwood (release) before the season began.
However, the offensive line hasn’t been a major weakness for this team. In fact, they’ve been pretty solid for the most part. In a recent article by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into Week 16.
Surprisingly, the Raiders ranked inside the top half of the league at No. 12. Here is what Monson had to say about the unit this season:
“The Raiders’ line now ranks seventh in PFF pass-blocking grade on the season and has climbed the rankings from as low as 30th earlier this season.”
The unit has done a good job of keeping Derek Carr upright at times this season. There have been a few games where the protection has struggled, but that is the case for most offensive lines in the NFL.
The Raiders still need to upgrade this unit next offseason, but the coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for the improvement of this group across the board.
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