The Raiders tried to accomplish something this offseason that is rarely done; rebuild the entire offensive line in just one year. Outside of Kolton Miller, the team had four new starters in Week 1 and continued to move around pieces as the year went on.
While someone like Andre James (center) did show promise, they still need to reinforce the unit this offseason. The hope is that Alex Leatherwood can improve in Year 2, but that might be at guard rather than tackle.
In a recent article by Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus, he broke down every team’s biggest draft need going into the 2022 offseason. For the Raiders, that was the offensive line. Specifically, the right side of the offensive line. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the unit going into the offseason:
“Las Vegas needs improvement from that right side of the offensive line, if nothing else. The Raiders’ right guard and right tackle positions combined to allow 124 pressures over the course of the regular season. That was 17 more than any other team in the NFL.
Leatherwood, Las Vegas’ first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, was responsible for a league-high 65 of those pressures. He had positive moments in the run game and should improve after a rookie season that involved a mid-year position change from right tackle to right guard, but four of the five starting spots could at least use some new competition entering 2022.”
If the Raiders could find a long-term solution at right tackle in either free agency or the draft, that would solve a lot of their problems. They might also consider looking for a dominant guard as they could then move Denzelle Good back to right tackle.
No matter how the Raiders try to fix their offensive line this offseason, it has to be their No. 1 priority. If this unit can improve in 2022, there is really no reason why the Raiders couldn’t be a dramatically better offense next year.
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