If the Raiders are going to make the playoffs in 2021, it’s going to be because their young offensive line gelled quickly and played at an elite level. Unfortunately, not many in the mainstream media believe that is likely as we’ve seen multiple sites and analysts claim this among the worst units in the NFL.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked all 32 offensive line units in the NFL heading into the 2021 season. Amidst all the uncertainty, the Raiders finished at No. 26, seventh-worst in the league.
The biggest problem Pro Football Focus has with the Raiders is at center with Andre James, who is a complete unknown. However, they seem optimistic about the offensive tackles going forward. Here is a snippet from PFF on Kolton Miller and Alex Leatherwood going into the year:
“Left tackle Kolton Miller has made great strides after a rough rookie season in 2018, grading out at 72.9 overall in 2020 — good for 36th among tackles. Miller still has work to do in the run game, where his 55.4 grade ranked just 70th out of 84 qualifiers, but he finished with an impressive 81.3 pass-blocking grade (16th).
Las Vegas’ new right tackle is first-rounder Alex Leatherwood, a surprise selection at No. 17 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Leatherwood is a toolsy tackle prospect who made some of the most impressive run blocks of anyone in the draft class, but he was just OK in pass protection, with grades of 82.0 and 73.4 in his last two years at Alabama.”
If the Raiders can get solid play from Andre James (or Nick Martin) at center, this offensive line has a chance to be much better than expected. The tackles are young, but they complement each other well. We know how good Richie Incognito can be if healthy and Denzelle Good played the best football of his career in 2020.
Keep an eye on the offensive line for the Raiders as it will likely determine the ceiling of this team in 2021.
