Tag: Kolton Miller

The NFL’s top 12 offensive tackles

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar continues our position lists with the NFL’s 12 best offensive tackles.

Things have changed a lot in the NFL’s offensive tackle hierarchy of late, and sadly, for all the wrong reasons. On last year’s list of the league’s best tackles, David Bakhtiari of the Packers ranked first overall, and Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley ranked third. Then, Bakhtiari missed all but one game last season due to an awful knee injury he suffered late in the 2020 season, and word is that he might be ready for training camp this season.

As for Stanley, he missed all but six games in 2020, and all but one game in 2021 with an ankle injury that required multiple surgeries. As is the case with Bakhtiari, the hope is that Stanley will be ready for training camp.

We do not like this. We would prefer to see the best tackles in the business dealing with the best pass-rushers on a regular basis, but this is where it is.

The… well, not “good news,” but the thing this allows, is new names to discover and analyze. In many cases, the new guys on our list this year are players who needed time, patience, and coaching to reach their full potential. You’ll see a few players who came into the NFL, looked like open gates early on, and then figured it out. We always like to see that, at any position.

We have also seen an increasing blurring of the lines in the importance of left tackle and right tackle. As the NFL becomes more of a quick-game league, the front-side protector had best be on point. Five of our tackles this year ply their trade on the right side, including our second- and third-best.

As for the best offensive tackle, outside of Aaron Donald’s place atop our list of interior defensive linemen, no choice was easier than this. If you’re a 49ers fan, you can skip right ahead and start gloating.

Here are Touchdown Wire’s 12 best offensive tackles heading into the 2022 NFL season — along with links to our position lists to date, which lead to our list of the 101 best players overall.

The NFL’s top 13 safeties

The NFL’s top 12 slot defenders

The NFL’s top 12 outside cornerbacks

The NFL’s top 11 linebackers

The NFL’s top 11 edge defenders

The NFL’s top 12 interior defensive linemen

The NFL’s top 12 centers

The NFL’s top 12 offensive guards

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Sports Info Solutions, Pro Football Focus, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).

Rankings the top 25 players on Raiders roster: 6-10

Who made the top ten players on the Raiders roster?

Things are heating up in the list of the top 25 Raiders. Some very talented players have already been mentioned on the list and now we enter the all important top ten.

PFF gives Raiders a grade of ‘B-‘ for 2018 draft class

How would you grade the 2018 draft class for the #Raiders?

They say you can never judge a draft until at least Year 3 or Year 4. The 2018 draft class for the Raiders is now going into Year 5 and we have a pretty good idea as to how to grade that class.

The first draft during the second Jon Gruden era with the Raiders was certainly an interesting one. They traded down from No. 10 to pick Kolton Miller, a developmental offensive tackle from UCLA. That pick worked out as he’s now one of the best pass-protecting offensive tackles in the NFL.

But what about the rest of the class? If you don’t remember, the Raiders selected P.J. Hall, Brandon Parker and Arden Key on Day 2. They were able to get solid production from Maurice Hurst on Day 3, but that was the about it.

So how would you grade the 2018 class for the Raiders? In a recent article by Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, he re-graded every team’s draft class from 2018 and gave the Raiders a B-. Here is what he had to say about their draft as a whole:

“The 2018 draft introduced us to the Raiders’ absurd draft strategies in the Jon Gruden era. Hall and Parker came straight out of left field when picked, and neither has looked better in the NFL.

Miller was a similar head-scratcher at the time; yet, he’ll go down as the lone Gruden “reach” who worked out. He’s improved considerably every single season, improving from a 49.6 grade as a rookie to 65.0 in Year 2, 73.0 in Year 3, and 84.0 in Year 4.”

P.J. Hall and Arden Key flamed out pretty quickly with the Raiders, but Miller and Parker could be their two starting tackles for the 2022 season. While Miller is clearly the better player, Parker has improved some over the last few years. He’s still better as a backup, but picking him in Round 3 still feels like a slight reach.

The Raiders have certainly had worse draft classes over the years, but this one isn’t fantastic either. Luckily, the selection of Kolton Miller at No. 15 has saved this class from being a failure. He’s only 26 years old and has quickly established himself as one of the best tackles in the NFL.

As a whole, a B- grade feels about right for this class.

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NFL draft history: Every No. 15 overall pick selected since 2000

#NFLDraft history: Looking at every No. 15 overall pick selected since the 2000 #NFLDraft and the #Eagles chances of landing an impact player

The Eagles need impact players on both sides of the ball and with three first-round picks in April’s draft, Howie Roseman will have his best opportunity ever to add game-changing players to the roster.

After missing on picks like Jalen Reagor and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Roseman is under pressure to not waste assets or opportunities while attempting to be the smartest man in the room.

Philadelphia currently has the 15th, 16th, and 19th overall picks and we’ll take a look at some of the impact players and draft bust that were selected with the 15th pick.

Raiders, Bears Thursday injury report: Josh Jacobs, Kolton Miller upgraded to full participants

Josh Jacobs, Kolton Miller upgraded to full participants in Raiders practice while Bears still without DE Khalil Mack

Watching Josh Jacobs run on Monday Night, it didn’t look like he was 100% on his injured ankle. It was his first game back after missing the previous two weeks. On Wednesday he was limited in practice, as you might expect, but Thursday the Raiders workhorse was upgraded to a full participant.

So, too, was left tackle Kolton Miller who was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury.

Still missing from practice were cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen (toe) and Damon Arnette (groin) along with RB Peyton Barber (toe) and TE Derek Carrier (pectoral). Limited for the second day was S Johnathan Abram.

The Bears are pretty banged up too. They had six players missing practice for the second straight day including All Pro former Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack who has ribs and foot issues he’s dealing with.

Other notable players not practicing for the Bears include RB David Montgomery (knee) and DT Akiem Hicks (groin).

Raiders DE Yannick Ngakoue: Kolton Miller will be ‘one of the best’ in the NFL

Raiders DE Yannick Ngakoue: Kolton Miller will be ‘one of the best’ in the NFL

News and information have been flying out of Raiders training camp in Henderson, Nev., but there’s one player we haven’t heard a ton about.

That’s offensive tackle Kolton Miller. A first-round pick by coach Jon Gruden and then general manager Reggie McKenzie in 2018, Miller has solidified himself as the anchor of Las Vegas’ reworked offensive line.

But can he be more than a solid piece to Gruden’s puzzle? New Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue believes so. He’s battled Miller in practice and has come away impressed. On Sunday, he tweeted that he believes Miller will be considered one of the NFL’s best in short order.

First of all, check the size difference between Ngakoue and Miller. It’s no surprise that Ngakoue, listed at 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, has trouble going through Miller. But Ngakoue is a speed rusher, and he’s no doubt sharpened Miller’s ability to block smaller, faster players on the edge.

And Miller, listed at 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds, has apparently done enough to help Ngakoue improve during training camp, too. Much of the game is played on the edge in the NFL, and it looks as though these two will be ready to make a large impact on Sundays during the regular season, thanks to battles with each other in the Vegas heat.

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Ranking the AFC West: Offensive Tackles

Ranking the AFC West: Offensive Tackles

We move from the offensive skill positions to the big fellas who do the dirty work. We start with the pass protectors who give the quarterbacks time to work and find open receivers.

1. Broncos

Starters: LT Garett Bolles, RT Bobby Massie

After a rough first couple of years, Bolles has turned into one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Last season he gave up just a half-sack in 15 starts.

Massie too was considered a middling starter for most of his career but has quietly stepped up the past few seasons as the starting right tackle in Chicago. A solid 2018 season earned him a 4-year extension,  but injuries ended his past couple of seasons.

2. Chiefs

Starters: LT Orlando Brown Jr, RT Mike Remmers

Brown comes over in a trade with the Ravens, becoming the division’s only Pro Bowl tackle. Brown has been to two Pro Bowls in three NFL seasons. The Chiefs lost former first overall pick Eric Fisher to injury and managed to replace him with a potential upgrade.

Remmers stepped in at right tackle for the injured Mitchell Schwartz last season and earned a return as the starter. In ten starts, Remmers didn’t give up a single sack.

3. Raiders

Starters: LT Kolton Miller, RT Alex Leatherwood

Miller has improved each season, playing into the level of one of the more solid left tackles in the league. He gave up a respectable two sacks in 2020 in 14 starts. His run blocking has been better, but could still use some work.

The Raiders made former Alabama left tackle Alex Leatherwood their pick at 17 overall in the draft and will put him at right tackle. Leatherwood is known as a strong run blocker but has some concerns as a pass protector. He will get his shot at right tackle to see if he can hold up.

4. Chargers

Starters: LT Rashawn Slater, RT Bryan Bulaga

Veteran Bryan Bulaga is a proven talent. Though he is coming off a down season, giving up 3.5 sacks in just ten starts. He is joined by 13th overall pick Rashawn Slater, widely considered one of the top tackles in this draft. Then again, left tackle in the pros isn’t always an immediate transition.

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Ranking the top 25 players on Raiders roster: 1-5

Ranking the top 25 players on Raiders roster: 1-5

It’s all come down to this. After counting down from 25, we have now reached the top five players on the Raiders roster.

5. RB Josh Jacobs

Though Jacobs made the Pro Bowl last season, he actually took a bit of a step back from the level of player he looked as a rookie. In 13 games, he had 1150 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Last season he had 1060 yards in 15 games, averaging nearly a full yard per carry less (3.9). Though he did see his touchdown numbers jump from seven as a rookie to 12 last season. He also saw his touches in the passing game increase, making for a better all-around season. He is considered a top ten back in the NFL right now.

4. LT Kolton Miller

His third season in the NFL, showed Miller had matured into one of the more solid left tackles in the league. It earned him an extension, making him the first-round one pick to get a second contract since Darren McFadden. His value to this team is considerable, especially with the overhaul the team did along the offensive line this offseason.

3. DE Yannick Ngakoue

A bit of a journeyman, Ngakoue is on his fourth NFL team in one calendar year. Which is pretty surprising for a guy who averages over nine sacks a season and has never had fewer than eight sacks. Those kinds of numbers are certainly welcome on the Raiders.

There is still the lingering question as to why he was never a difference-maker on the other three teams who employed him and why all three were willing to part with him. If it’s merely that he’s a situational pass rusher, that could be enough for the Raiders

2. DE Maxx Crosby

He’s no Khalil Mack to be certain, so let’s not get it twisted. But Crosby has been a Godsend over his two years in Silver & Black. Since the Raiders stole him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, he’s been their best defender, and it’s not really close. Though that may say more about the overall issues in the Raiders defense the past couple of seasons than anything. Including, and perhaps especially, top pick draft classmate Clelin Ferrell.

Crosby burst out the games to put up ten sacks as a rookie and followed that up with a seven-sack season last year. He also has 27 QB hits and is a pretty good run defender as well.

1. TE Darren Waller

If this were like a grading scale as opposed to a ranking, the gap between Waller and the rest of this roster would be a lot more than one spot. Waller is on another level. If not for the existence of Travis Kelce, Waller would have been a first-team All-Pro this past season with zero doubt. He is a certified game-changer for this team.

The past two seasons he easily led the team in receiving, compiling 197 catches for 2341 yards. In 2020, he set franchise records with 107 catches. That is not only the most catches for a tight end in Raiders history, it’s the most PERIOD. Surpassing Tim Brown’s record of 104 catches in a season. The most no-brainer best player ranking I can imagine.

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Winners and losers for Raiders in Week 11 vs Bengals

Raider’s wire takes a look at the Winners and Losers from a close victory for the Oakland Raiders against the Cincinnati Bengals

The Oakland Raiders never want to give Raider Nation the day off. The Raiders got stuck in a battle with the 0-10 Cincinnati Bengals but came out with the victory in a 17-10 slugfest with the worst team in the league.

The Raider offense was able to move the football with ease but had two critical turnovers that led to the Bengals’ two scores. The offensive line had one of its worst games of the season, allowing a team that came into the game with 11 sacks to finish with three sacks on the stat sheet.

Carr was under pressure for most of the day and was able to maneuver to help keep the offense moving the football.

The Raiders’ defense continued its improvement with a dominant performance against an abysmal Bengals offense. They held the opponent to meager 4.2 yards per play and kept back up quarterback under constant pressure accumulating five sacks on the day. If the Raiders defense continues to improve, it will for sure help the playoff run deep into the season.

Who stood out this week in the win against the Bengals? Let’s look at the winners and losers from the Week 11 victory, moving the Raiders to 6-4.

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