One of the bright spots from this 2020 season for the Las Vegas Raiders has been their offensive line. Despite multiple injuries and countless different combinations, the unit has played extremely well this season. The Raiders’ offense, as a whole, has played great due to the five blockers up front.
The offensive lineman who has improved the most this season is left tackle Kolton Miller. From the moment he was drafted in 2018, we have seen steady progress from the former UCLA tackle. He has battled injuries during his time in the NFL, but he is quickly turning into one of the league’s best pass blockers.
According to Pro Football Focus, Miller has allowed only one sack this season on 465 pass-blocking snaps. In fact, he’s coming off his best performance of his career in Week 14 as he didn’t allow a single pressure to the Indianapolis Colts. The site also gave him a run block grade of 84.1, which was the highest of his career.
Miller is currently inside the top-12 of offensive tackles for his pass-blocking grade this season despite dealing with a lower-leg injury. His combination of size and athleticism allows him to stay in front of the league’s best pass-rushers.
With Trent Brown back in the lineup for the Raiders, the team has one of the best offensive tackle duos in the entire league. And they are going to need these two players to dominate on Thursday Night Football if they want to get a much-needed win over the Chargers.
Over the offseason, the Raiders will have to decide whether they want to give their left tackle the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. But with the way he has played over the last two seasons, that is an easy decision given the way he has developed. Miller is proving Jon Gruden right for gambling on him high in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
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