Raiders' Opponents Ranked: OL, No. 4
In making back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since 2000-02, the Las Vegas Raiders will navigate the NFL's fourth-hardest rated schedule, according to Pro Football Focus.
That will include several teams that have offensive lines that could prove a worthy challenge for the Raiders' high-end pass rush.
There's a chance that if veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth had decided to play one more season, the Los Angeles Rams' o-line could've ranked higher on this list.
Even still, the defending Super Bowl Champions will return three starters from a unit that was an underrated part of their run to glory last season.
It'll start with the line's longest-tenured member in right tackle Rob Havenstein, who has been on the Rams since 2015 when the team was still in St. Louis.
He's been rated by Pro Football Focus as a top-15 or better tackle in three of the last four seasons.
They could also have a top-caliber player at center with how Brian Allen played last season.
He was rated by PFF as being the 10th best pivot man in the NFL in 2021 after playing his first full season as a starter.
Guard David Edwards hasn't rated quite as well as Allen or Havenstein, but he's still been graded by PFF as being well above average the last two years.
The biggest questions are how the Rams are going to replace Whitworth at left tackle and Austin Corbett at right guard.
Both look like they'll come from in-house options, with swing tackle Joseph Noteboom and rookie guard Logan Bruss.
Noteboom does have some previous starting experience, including last year, where in the snaps he played he was rated highly by PFF.
Even with him and Bruss not having a great experience, the Rams have often been able to fill in starters that didn't come with high pedigrees.
None of the trio of Havenstein, Edwards, or Allen were high draft picks, showing that the Rams know how to identify starting talent where others may not.
It makes it plausible that the Rams' o-line could repeat their performance from last season, where they only gave up 30 sacks.
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