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Raiders LT Kolton Miller named among best NFL draft picks in last decade

In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they took a look at the best picks at every spot in Round 1. At pick No. 15, they selected Kolton Miller, who has been one of the top left tackles in the NFL over the last several years. Here is what the site had to say about his career so far with Las Vegas:

The Raiders didn’t get many draft picks right during the Jon Gruden era, but Kolton Miller turned out to be a big hit. He has recorded single-season PFF blocking grades above 80.0 for each of the last three seasons.

There weren’t many other standouts to consider here, which means 2024 rookie Laiatu Latu has a chance to make a name for himself as the most recent No. 15 pick.

Miller was an incredible athlete coming out of UCLA, but he was far from a polished player. But Miller managed to improve his game every year with the Raiders and is now widely viewed as one of the top tackles in the league.

The Raiders certainly don’t have a ton of success stories when it comes to their Round 1 selections, but Miller is a massive hit. Here is to hoping that the Raiders can find more Kolton Millers in the NFL Draft for years to come.

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby ranked as No. 11 player in NFL during 2023 season

Maxx Crosby is like a fine wine. He just keeps getting better with age. Crosby had the best season of his career in 2023 and took his game to the next level.

Unfortunately, he plays in an era with some other elite pass rushers, including Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and T.J. Watt. That has led to him getting snubbed in the postseason awards. But that’s okay. Crosby has become a household name and is widely viewed as one of the best players on the planet.

In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top 101 players from the 2023 season. In no surprise at all, Crosby ranked inside the top 15, coming in at No. 11. Here is what the site had to say about the superstar pass rusher:

One of the most consistent edge rushers in the league, Crosby is also arguably the best run defender among that group. He racked up 94 total pressures over the season and posted a 92.7 PFF run-defense grade despite battling through a knee injury that resulted in some gruesome-looking swelling at times.

Crosby had multiple surgeries this offseason, but that didn’t stop him from being productive on the field. With Antonio Pierce staying on as the head coach and Malcolm Koonce’s emergence, Crosby is set up to have an even better 2024 season. And that should be terrifying for opposing quarterbacks.

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Raiders will rely heavily on high-pick defensive backs to ‘take it up a notch or two’

It’s a precarious position the Raiders find themselves in. Their defense was as porous as it gets, with no position safe from criticism. The secondary has received a great deal of criticism, but the problem is the team has spent a great deal of draft capital on defensive backs in the past couple of years, which means they have no choice but to give them a chance to develop.

In total, the Raiders have used three picks in the first 40 picks the past two years on DBs as well as a couple of fourth-round picks. They haven’t seen a whole lot of improvement in the play of the secondary despite these picks, and, as GM Mike Mayock explained, that has to change right now if the Raiders are to have any chance.

“We’ve got a first-round safety in John Abram; we got a second-round corner who we think is going to be a very good football player. We’ve got a fourth-round corner in Amik Robertson, another first-round corner in Damon Arnette and we mentioned Trayvon Mullen in the second who we think is going to be a heck of a player,” said Mayock over video conference call Wednesday.

“So, really, what we need more than anything is for all those players to take it up a notch or two. I’m talking about commitment to the game, work ethic, perseverance, being in the locker room working with your brothers. All those things are critical. We’ve expended some draft capital on what we think are some very talented players, and now all of them need to take a collective step forward.”

Add 2019 fourth-round pick Isaiah Johnson to that list and you have a lot of DBs, only one of which (Mullen) has shown he is a worthy starter.

With as many needs the Raiders have this offseason, using another high pick on a defensive back would be a tough pill to swallow. Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden would much rather see the high-picked DBs they already have start living up to their potential so they can put their attention elsewhere.

There is reason to believe some of them still have room to grow. Abram and Johnson had lost rookie seasons due to injury while Arnette and Robertson had to try and catch up to the NFL with no offseason. With all of them having a full season under their belts and what figures to be an actual full offseason practice schedule ahead, they will have their best chance to find those notches Mayock is looking for.

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