During Jon Gruden’s first draft after rejoining the Raiders, he made it a point to upgrade their offensive line. The team selected Kolton Miller in Round 1 and just handed him a hefty contract extension that makes him among the highest-paid tackles in the NFL.
In Round 3, the Raiders took another offensive tackle; Brandon Parker. Like Miller, Parker was a good athlete with excellent size for the position. But coming from North Carolina A&T, the jump from college to the NFL proved to be bigger than expected.
Entering the 2021 season, there is a good chance Parker doesn’t even make the roster this year. In a recent article by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, they listed the veterans that are on the roster bubble this year. Here is what they had to say about Parker entering the final year of his rookie contract:
“The third-round pick in Jon Gruden’s first draft class since returning in 2018 should have solidified his hold on the right tackle spot by now, no? Well … after starting 12 games as a rookie, Parker has started just seven times, and the Raiders drafted Alex Leatherwood this spring to play right tackle. Unless Parker grabs hold of that backup swing tackle spot, that already tenuous bubble could very well burst.”
With Sam Young returning for the second year, Parker is going to have a ton of competition for the swing job. The Raiders would love for him to grab that spot considering all of the time and resources they have invested into him, but they aren’t counting on him to play much, if at all in 2021.
Keep an eye on Parker throughout training camp and the preseason as his roster spot is certainly on the bubble.
