Staying Put, Drafting OL Now a Legitimate Possibility

The Las Vegas Raiders released an offensive lineman from an already thin offensive line. The Raiders not trading up or down but staying at No. 13 and drafting an OL is a legitimate possibility.

The Las Vegas Raiders released offensive lineman D.J. Fluker from an offensive line unit that was already thin after losing Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency.

Although the Raiders have at least three solid starters on their offensive line, there was very little depth behind them, nor were there any surefire starters outside of left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard Dylan Parham and center Andre James. While Thayer Munford has the potential to be a serviceable starter, doing so for an entire 17-game season has not been required of him yet.

Fluker was listed as Las Vegas' starting right guard on its depth chart before his release. As it currently stands, the Raiders now have Ben Brown listed for the position. The club just re-signed Justin Meredith, who can play multiple positions on the offensive line.

Las Vegas, however, does not have any dependable depth behind its starting offensive linemen. 

So far this offseason, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has done a commendable job filling the holes on the Raiders' roster but also creating necessary roster space at different positions for the prospect of improving at that position either on the field, contract-wise or both. Telesco has stayed consistent, continuing to allow necessary holes on the roster to be created for the opportunity to better help the team in the long run.

Fluker had not played in a game since 2020; however, he was still potentially a serviceable backup offensive lineman, assuming he was healthy. Releasing Fluker now makes it possible for the Raiders to stay put at 13th overall and draft one of, if not the best, offensive linemen available. Top-tier offensive linemen often remain in the league for over a decade.

The Raiders could find a fourth solid offensive lineman to help solidify their offensive line. 

It is also much easier to pick the right offensive lineman at 13th-overall than the right quarterback or cornerback. If the Raiders do not trade up for a quarterback, are not confident in Michael Penix Jr. and cannot find a suitable offer to trade back, drafting one of the top offensive linemen could be the safest possible pick.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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