The Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line put up a stout effort in both pass protection and the run game in 2022, in large part to the play of their tackles. Controlling the line of scrimmage will be paramount to any successes the team anticipates being able to celebrate moving forward. Can Kolton Miller keep playing at the level Raider Nation is accustomed to seeing?
There’s a new quarterback in town, and he needs time to find his weapons.
It All Starts Up Front For The Raiders
The Bookends
Kolton Miller is the longest-tenured lineman on Las Vegas’ roster, by a few draft classes. Both he and teammate Brandon Parker were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft; however, while Miller was a first-round pick, Parker was selected in the third.
Miller has been the rock for the Raiders’ line. The five-year veteran at left tackle has allowed opposing pass-rushers to sack the quarterback only 10 times within the last three seasons. It’s been over four years since he last played less than 1,000 offensive snaps in a campaign. The 27-year-old rarely commits penalties – in fact, according to Pro Football Reference, he was only responsible for six flags during his fifth season with the team. None of those penalties were holding calls, either.
The Main Show
On the right side, opposite of Miller, is a player who has played extremely solid football and deserves to get his flowers. A lineman who allowed only three sacks in 2022, despite being underappreciated by a majority of fans.
Jermaine Eluemunor had a memorable season under Carmen Bricillo, his former offensive line coach from New England. Eluemunor blocked all of the top defensive ends in 2022, only surrendering three sacks in the process. ‘The Main Show’, as the Raiders tackle calls himself, has put it into the atmosphere that he expects Kolton Miller and himself to be the best bookends (tackle tandem) in the league this upcoming season.
It’s not crazy to imagine, either.
For Eluemunor, taking the step from good to great is going to be as simple as eliminating the pre-snap mental mistakes. Six false starts is a lot; two occurred on the goal line, and a third was inside the ten. Remembering the snap count and being able to hear the snap count are two different things. Maintaining a harmonious balance of the two will help the 28-year-old eliminate offensive self-harm in the red zone.
The Raiders’ Reserves
Thayer Munford was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, frequently playing in overload sets as the tight end who assisted Eluemunor on the right side. This indoctrinated him into the NFL near-seamlessly with help to cushion his rookie mistakes. There were two contests where the first-year tackle played 100% of offensive snaps in the corresponding week.
Fans shouldn’t expect the Ohio State alum to start unless he takes a huge step forward during training camp. Make no mistake – Munford is ready to contribute when called upon.
Brandon Parker signed a contract extension with the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime upon their arrival, and got put on the injured reserve list after exactly one preseason quarter of football. Although his extension was only a one-year deal, Parker nabbed a second extension with the Raiders at the season’s end.
Kolton Miller’s draft-mate finds himself on the bad end of the available spectrum and is going to have to perform. Unfortunately for him, in his absence, Eluemunor stepped in and balled out. Parker is now poised to be a swing tackle on the outside looking in.
*Top Photo: Bobby Ellis/Getty Images
Josh Jacobs And The Las Vegas Raiders: A Mishandling Of The League’s Most Consistent Running Back
