Let’s take a look at Kolton Miller’s 2021 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. We’ll discuss the highs and the lows, give him a grade for the year and assess his outlook for the future.
Highlights
In his fourth season, Miller has emerged as the Raiders’ best offensive lineman. The former first-round pick has quietly done his job very well on a consistent basis. That consistency is truly Miller’s best quality. He played in every game this season and took every offensive snap. Despite that, you would be hard-pressed to find one bad game from him or even a long stretch of bad play within any one game.
The UCLA product was great in pass protection this year, allowing just four sacks in 730 pass block snaps. One of the things that stood out to me in this part of his game was how he handled the tough assignments. In the past, Miller tended to look overmatched against some of the league’s premier edge rushers. This year, he really held his own.
In the run game, Miller was almost as good. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded him 76.8 in run-blocking and 84.4 in pass-protection. I try not to put too much stock in those grades, but that feels like an accurate description of Miller’s play. One really impressive thing about his run blocking has been his ability to help at the first level, and then work up to his assignment at the second level in time to make the block. Miller’s athleticism is one of his best traits.
Lowlights
There is not a whole lot to say here. Miller is a good tackle. I think the one thing missing from his game right now is dominance. The league’s elite tackles bully people. The Raiders’ tackle tends to just win. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it is helpful in key fourth-quarter situations if the opposing defensive lineman’s spirit has been completely broken.
It would be nice to see Miller add a bit more nastiness to his game. I think this would especially help him in the run game. This is something that could come with age. At 26, Miller is just now entering what are typically the “prime” years for offensive linemen.
One last little thing that concerned me while watching Miller was communication issues. This could be attributed to the abysmal offensive linemen that he played with. It could also be Derek Carr or Greg Olson. That being said, there was one error that occurred multiple times this season, including in the playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. There have been times this season where Miller has gone down to help the guard in pass protection and left the tight end on an island with a defensive end. As I previously stated, I’m not sure if the problem is his fault or not, but he must be a part of the solution.
2021 Grade: A-
Miller is currently one of the better left tackles in the NFL. I would say he is just on the fringes of the top ten. He has done everything asked of him, but there is still a gap between him and the league’s elite tackles.
Future Outlook
As I said earlier, Miller’s best years should be ahead of him. Luckily, the Raiders have already locked him in through 2025 with a pretty friendly cap number. He seems to have all the makings of a franchise left tackle. If he continues to improve, expect Vegas to set his next contract up to make him a Raider for life.
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*Top Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports