By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders have lots of firepower on offense (Davante Adams, Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, and Hunter Renfrow), but they haven’t had close to successful offensive line play as of late. The Raiders sadly allowed the 12th most sacks last season. It’s safe to say that the Raiders current OL is drastically less impressive than its prior unit with Rodney Hudson, Trent Brown, and Richie Incognito.

It’s clear that the direction with the Raiders OL still isn’t inspiring, to say the least. The current starters are slated to be Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, Andre James, Dylan Parham, and Alex Leatherwood. PFF didn’t give the Raiders OL a generous ranking (29th in the league) heading into the season.

Miller was actually a stud last season – as he garnered an 84.0 grade by PFF. Marcus Mosher of Raiders Wire noted how Miller surprisingly wasn’t ranked as a Top-10 OT heading into the 2022 season. Nonetheless, there isn’t any reason that Miller doesn’t oust a Pro Bowl spot if he can play well against the daunting AFC West pass rushers. John Simpson really needs to find consistency moving forward. Simpson did improve in the back-end of last season, as he did a fantastic job against the All-Pro Deforest Buckner.

The center Andre James hasn’t been the righteous replacement for Hudson. He garnered a 64.1 grade by PFF last season. I believe the Raiders will likely target a center in the 2023 draft. The RG Denzelle Good has struggled in his young career. He has been a bottom-half guard in each of the past two seasons. In poetic fashion, the Raiders have a weak link at RT, as well. Alex Leatherwood hasn’t been a reliable force – as he snatched a very lousy 45.0 grade by PFF. Although, the 2021 first-round pick undoubtedly carries more potential than the other lesser proven OL.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders are on the brink of being an AFC juggernaut in the near future. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three profiles on the Raiders that could turn heads and help LV beat squads like BUF, CIN, and KC next season.

Denzel Perryman

Perryman was unequivocally an amazing value signing in 2021 for the Raiders. After playing in a Chargers uniform for six seasons, the LB Denzel Perryman cracked his first Pro Bowl spot with the Raiders in 2021. Perryman had career-high marks in tackles (154 and fumble recoveries (2). He also had 5 TFLs and 3 QB hits. The Raiders ILB could have more opportunities with Chandler Jones in the same unit. Perryman is bound to be a FA in the 2023 off-season, so it’s important that LV can retain their star LB.

Kenyan Drake

The former Cardinals RB, Kenyan Drake, should definitely thrive under Josh McDaniels moving forward. Drake registered 1,092 all-purpose yards and 10 RRTDs last season in 2020, but he took a noticeable dip in 2021: 545 total yards and 3 RRTDs. A healthier Drake with a sharp offensive play-caller (that nicely utilized James White) could shine with excellent receiving match-ups and as the RB2 behind Josh Jacobs. Drake is also in the last year of his contract.

Kolton Miller

Kolton Miller is the glue in the Raiders offense and he will need to keep climbing the ladder in 2022. His presence will be extremely vital against the fierce AFC pass rushers like Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Melvin Ingram. Miller finished as the fifth-best OT by PFF last season, so perhaps an All-Pro season is on the horizon. Miller signed a three-year contract extension worth $54 million dollars in the last off-season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders were arguably the scrappiest AFC team in the NFL last season. The Derek Carr-led Raiders came out alive in a brutal Week 18 showdown against the LA Chargers and then barely/controversially lost against the Cincinnati Bengals, aka the 2021 AFC Champions. I fully expect the new-look Raiders to climb the ladder in 2022. Nonetheless, there are bound to be serious hurdles for LV moving forward. With that said, I’m going to untwine the three biggest obstacles for the Raiders.

• The CB position

The Raiders were clearly leaning on Casey Hayward to be the answer for their CB position last off-season, but the veteran CB fled to Atlanta this offseason. The Raiders still have a question mark at the CB spot, as “Just Blog Baby” has pointed out. Travyon Mullen can be a modest starting CB, but he also has injury concerns (12 missed games) last season. It will be critical for him to stay healthy in an AFC West division that features Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Justin Herbert.

• Kenyan Drake

I honestly believe Kenyan Drake is the ultimate x-factor in the Raiders offense. He had 1,092 all-purpose yards and 10 combined touchdowns in 2020, but he didn’t skyrocket in a Raiders uniform in 2021. Unfortunately, he missed five games last season. Drake can be a match-up nightmare, as opponents focus on Tae, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow. He can also help Josh Jacobs stay fresh in the Raiders ground attack.

• Kolton Miller

The Raiders offense quietly revolves around LT Kolton Miller and he’s been a pleasant surprise in recent memory. In fact, PFF graded him as a Top-5 LT last season. The Packers and Saints missed their elite LTs last season, but the Raiders LT was healthy and playing like he was from another another planet. It will be vital that the glue of the Raiders offense plays lights out in the gutsy AFC next season.

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