PFF ranks Raiders’ tackle Donald Penn as one of the NFL’s elites. Donald Penn’s dominant season for the Oakland Raiders continues to be analyzed, as PFF recently shared via Twitter. The sheer dominance of Penn’s 2016 campaign continues to impress as the numbers suggest he’s one of the elite blockers in the NFL right now.
T Donald Penn was 1-of-4 tackles to allow just 1 sack with 350+ pass block snaps. He did it w/ nearly 200 more snaps than No. 2 Duane Brown. pic.twitter.com/TWEhv8Zfev
— PFF (@PFF) May 15, 2017
One of the primary reasons for quarterback Derek Carr’s emergence has been the stellar blocking by his offensive line; a line anchored by Penn. Since his arrival with the Silver and Black in 2014, Penn has proven to be one of the best free-agent pickups of general manager Reggie McKenzie’s tenure.
Last year alone, Penn gave up just one sack in 621 passing snaps and while Carr’s injury certainly derailed the team’s playoff hopes, one can’t simply overlook the brilliance that was 2016 for Penn.
However, there’s ever-present concerns of Penn’s age and the “wear and tear” that’s taken a toll on his body (something that’s especially true for offensive linemen), but it’s doubtful his job is on the line. In fact and even though two tackles were drafted this year, as of now, there’s no long-term plan in place to replace Penn anytime soon.