This year, the Raiders had to be strategic in their approach to the draft being that they didn’t have a pick until 86 overall in the third round. Then when their pick came up, they traded back four spots to 90, picking up a round five pick in the deal. And it appears they still got the right guy with their first pick.
The Raiders selected Memphis guard Dylan Parham, who is projected as a center at the NFL level.
Parham topped my list of Raiders draft targets at the center position and thus the selection made immediate sense to me. Then the Athletic’s NFL analyst Ted Nguyen put out his list of the top ten best fits in the NFL draft and Parham made that list, all I could do was nod along in approval.
“Watching the film, Parham looks like a high-level processor, his eyes are always in the right place, he smoothly picks up blitzes and stunts and his feel for coming off double teams and getting to the second level is impeccable. McDaniels’ run scheme was among the most diverse in the league with the Patriots, so he needs offensive linemen who can handle that type of volume mentally.”
Nguyen posts several clips which back up his points about Parham’s intelligence and athleticism which translate to the center position, which is in play for Parham on a team whose offensive line was far from set last season.
Although the previous Raiders regime gave an extension to center Andre James last season, the new one isn’t going to automatically hand him a spot. I believe Parham has a legit chance to win the job and could add more physicality inside to an offensive line that desperately needs it.
Following the selection of Parham, GM Dave Ziegler said Parham would be ‘cross-trained’ at center and guard and will be given the opportunity to win the starting center job.
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