The NFL Draft is firmly in the rearview mirror for another year and for the Oakland Raiders, well they made waves by taking two offensive tackles within the first three rounds.
Both of the picks who came in the shape of Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker are considered to be reaches in the first and third round respectively, but one thing is for sure both players boost an offensive line which Jon Gruden felt needed to be addressed in order to protect his star quarterback.
So what about the right tackle position itself?
Well, here is the current depth at offensive tackle after the first rookie minicamp that took place last weekend. These are the names who can be expected to compete for the starting spot at right tackle.
- Kolton Miller – 6-foot-8 – 309 pounds
- Brandon Parker – 6-foot-7 – 309 pounds
- Breno Giacomini – 6-foot-7 – 320 pounds
- Jylan Ware – 6-foot-8 – 295 pounds
- David Sharpe – 6-foot-6 – 357 pounds
- Vadal Alexander – 6-foot-5 – 326 pounds
So the offensive line looks stacked with numbers, but with Donald Penn’s future up in the air and the right tackle spot having been the Raiders’ Achilles heel for many years, one will hope that one of the aforementioned players will step up and nail down a starting spot and perform consistently.
The favorite right now after using a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft has to be Kolton Miller but still, at this stage, let’s not forget he’s a rookie.
Another notable mention is Breno Giacomini who was brought in during free agency, the “Italian Stallion” is one of the names who could start due to his experience, but after an unimpressive time in Houston, the bar should be set low in this regard.
My own personal outsider is Jylan Ware, a tall long limbed tackle who could thrive under new coach Tom Cable’s tutelage. Ware was a 2017 draft pick in the seventh round and fits the mold of an athletic tall offensive tackle similar to this year’s drafted tackles.
Whoever wins the battle to be number one will have the pressure of protecting the Raiders prize asset, as well as helping Gruden and the team be successful in 2018 and future years.
