The Pro Bowl has long eluded Kolton Miller, sometimes unfairly. Still, 2026 will be the year the Las Vegas Raiders stalwart gets it.
Miller has spent the past few seasons watching from the margins. Now, the Raiders left tackle is positioned for a reclamation, and the pieces around him suggest it could finally happen.
The case for Miller is rooted in data, not sentiment. Despite appearing in just four games in 2025 due to an ankle injury, his Pro Football Focus grade ranked seventh-best among all offensive tackles, minimum snap count notwithstanding. In the four preceding seasons, he never finished outside the top 15 at his position. That’s not a player in decline but rather one who was interrupted.
The more surgical question is, what changes this year?
Miller returns fully healthy to an offensive line that allowed a league-leading 65 sacks in 2025, a statistic that indicted his absence as loudly as any box score could. But the Raiders have aggressively retooled. The additions of center Tyler Linderbaum, guard Spencer Burford, and third-round pick Trey Zuhn III signal organizational intent. A functioning line, not just a talented one, is the prerequisite for Pro Bowl recognition.
The scheme shift matters, too. New head coach Klint Kubiak’s zone-blocking system should theoretically complement Miller’s athleticism and footwork, tools that have always been present but perhaps underutilized. New offensive line coach Rick Dennison brings a proven zone-blocking pedigree that could unlock a different dimension of Miller’s game.
Still, the most thought-provoking element isn’t schematic. It’s whether the NFL’s recognition machinery, historically slow to reward Raiders players, will catch up to what the film has shown for years.
Miller isn’t waiting on validation. He’s already ahead of schedule, running with the first-team unit and mentoring a younger line.
The résumé is there. The stage is set. The window is open.
*Top Photo: Getty Images