If there was anything holding the Las Vegas Raiders back in 2021, most people would agree that at least a major part of it was the offensive line. Ranging from holding penalties to missed blocks and assignments, there’s a lot of work to be done this offseason for the unit.
As of now, there hasn’t been much of anything done to improve this squad this offseason, and the Raiders don’t have a first or second-round pick either. Unless some signings or trades are made, the offensive line will look very similar next year. Some fans in Raider Nation will groan after reading that last sentence. Fortunately, though, by analyzing the career of Kolton Miller, we can see that there is some hope after all.
How will Alex Leatherwood end up faring for the Raiders?
Kolton Miller struggled early on for the Raiders
Miller was drafted by the Raiders with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He was Jon Gruden’s first pick, and many were left scratching their heads since he was selected with Derwin James still available. That population of upset fans grew after Miller had an awful rookie season. In that year, Kolton gave up 65 quarterback pressures, an average of about four per game. He also committed eight penalties. In 2018, Miller would allow the most sacks (16) of any tackle in the league.
Then, Miller began to turn it around. It’s always been unwise to label an athlete a bust after just one season, and Miller is a prime example of that. Between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Miller had quite the turnaround. He improved each year and went from a Pro Football Focus grade of 49.6 in 2018 to 65 and 73 in 2019 and 2020.
From a “draft bust” to an elite offensive tackle
In 2021, he had his best year yet. PFF ranked Miller as the fifth best tackle in the entire league, with an overall grade of 85. That was the best grade of his career. In fact, Kolton was ranked higher than players like Tristan Wirfs, Rashawn Slater, and La’el Collins. Miller’s pass blocking grade was 85.1, also fifth best in the league and ahead of the same players.
Miller was ranked the best tackle in the AFC West, and he made it into Week 8 of last year’s season without giving up a sack. That’s a gigantic leap for somebody who allowed the most sacks in the league just four years ago, and it’s a sign of how Miller’s career has gone. After beginning as one of the league’s worst tackles, Kolton has undoubtedly transformed himself into one of the league’s best.
Alex Leatherwood and Kolton Miller had similar rookie seasons
With that in mind, Raiders fans should think about Leatherwood. The former Alabama product’s career is starting in an eerily similar way to Miller’s. Both were middle-round selections in the first round. Also, both of them were selected ahead of where they were expected, with talented players still on the board.
Leatherwood had a rough rookie year as well. He gave up eight sacks, which isn’t great, but it was much better than Miller’s rookie year total of 16. More problematic were the 14 penalties committed by Alex, many of which were false starts and holding penalties at inopportune times.
What should provide hope is Leatherwood’s natural size and athleticism. While his weaknesses were on full display in his rookie season, look for some of his strengths to become much stronger in his sophomore campaign. He is a versatile lineman who can play inside and outside and has many technical skills, including the ability to seal off defenders and the ability to keep depth against speed rushers. He’s already been in the gym with Kolton Miller:
Damn Alex Leatherwood looking in shape. I wouldn't have guessed that was him TBH.#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/YGN77KDqnQ
— Raiders fan in SD â¬†ï¸ (@giovanniraiders) March 17, 2022
Ultimately, there’s nothing that can really get Raiders’ fans encouraged about Leatherwood until he starts playing better. It should be remembered, though, that Miller had arguably a worse rookie year than Leatherwood and is now one of the best tackles in the league. That kind of turnaround should provide some hope for Leatherwood.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/Rick Scuteri