The NFL Draft Will Reveal Raiders GM Tom Telesco's Plan for the Offensive Line

The Las Vegas Raiders have many holes along their offensive line. General manager Tom Telesco must have a plan in place to address this glaring need.

As draft day inches closer, the Las Vegas Raiders continue to mull their options with the No.13 pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

The Raiders have multiple avenues of improving their team with their first-round draft pick and must decide how to do so best. Fortunately for the Raiders, the positions on their roster that need the most help can quickly boost the team into playoff contention, assuming they pick the correct player. As history has shown, that is rarely the case for the Raiders.

Luckily, the Raiders have a new general manager in Tom Telesco. Telesco spent many years competing against the Raiders and firmly grasped the roster's needs. Telesco’s history has shown that he can draft not only the obvious, can’t-miss draft picks but also properly scout and find diamonds in the rough that can be productive additions to a team’s roster. 

The Raiders are set to select just outside the top ten in the draft but still have the chance to add a quality player at a position of need, as many talented players are still available at No.13. The Raiders, though, have one significant area of need that outweighs all other needs on their roster: their offensive line unit. Las Vegas doesn’t just need one offensive lineman; they need multiple offensive linemen. 

The Raiders have solidified the left side of their offensive line with left tackle Kolton Miller and left guard Dylan Parham, while also recently re-signing center Andre James. The right side of their offensive line and the depth behind their listed starting offensive linemen leaves much to be desired, especially for a long, 17-game season. 

Telesco has done an admirable job so far in free agency, making necessary additions and subtractions to Las Vegas’ roster. His moves show how deeply in tune with the Raiders’ roster he already is. As important as the moves he has made are, the moves he has not made are equally as important.

Outside of re-signing veteran offensive lineman Jordan Meredith and James, the Raiders have not made any additions to their offensive line.

It would be hard to believe Telesco has a well-thought-out plan for every other position except the offensive line. The Raiders plan on having a quarterback competition this offseason. It won’t matter who wins that competition if the offensive line is not addressed significantly via the draft, free agency or both.

Considering how relatively well off the Raiders are at most other positions on their team, their plan for their offensive line must be extensive. Bringing in a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach to pair with an offensive line lacking talent would be counterproductive.  

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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