The Raiders are in the offensive line market once again this offseason as they desperately need a right tackle. 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood slid to right guard after just a few games last season and it doesn’t appear that he is going to be leaving that spot anytime soon.
There are several quality offensive line prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, but will the Raiders select one with their top-pick? And if they do, who could step in from Day 1 and fill the right tackle void?
One possible option is Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who performed well at the Senior Bowl. While he did have his moments in which he struggled, he got better as the week progressed.
In a recent mock draft done by The Athletic, they had the Raiders selecting Penning at pick No. 22 to fill their right tackle need. Here is what they had to say about the standout offensive tackle prospect:
“Penning is gargantuan (6-7, 321 pounds), and he plays with a ferocity that seemed to hold up just fine at the Senior Bowl. The mean streak and willingness to finish blocks on the edge seem to excite Penning, who was a near-perfect run blocker at the FCS level.
The Raiders need someone opposite Kolton Miller. Alex Leatherwood can play inside. Is Penning (or an interior lineman) worth building on here?”
Penning isn’t a finished product by any means, but he has the size, athleticism and mean-streak to be a really good tackle in the NFL. However, he’s going to need some refinement and a lot more experience. In that way, he’s not all that dissimilar to Kolton Miller coming out of UCLA.
Miller was extremely raw coming out of college, but he has the size and athleticism to become an elite offensive tackle. It took a few years, but Miller is now widely viewed as one of the best pass-protecting offensive tackles in the league.
If the Raiders are patient and trust their coaching staff to develop someone like Penning, he could be a star much like Miller. Considering how hard it is to find quality offensive tackles, this might be a player worth gambling on at pick No. 22.
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