Raiders Must Address Right Side of Offensive Line
The Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line was surprisingly impressive in the last two seasons.
Some players have improved tremendously, including left tackle Kolton Miller and guard Dylan Parham; some have been consistent, like center Andre James.
Other players were simply solid additions, like right guard Greg Van Roten and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
Miller is the franchise left tackle, and Parham will remain at left guard after James was re-signed. The left side of the offensive line is set, but the Raiders have question marks to address on the right side.
Van Roten joined the team in May of last year on a one-year contract and played well. He was effective in the running game and held up well as a pass protector. However, he is a free agent, and the Raiders have not re-signed him.
If the Raiders bring back Van Roten on another short-term deal, they should expect a high output in the running game again and should be solid for another season at right guard. However, they could go in several different directions if they don't bring him back.
There are quality free agents available at guard. Mark Glowinski is a capable veteran starter who was recently released by the New York Giants, and Dalton Risner is a young player who had a solid season for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Raidera also could find Van Roten’s potential replacement in the 2024 NFL Draft, like Christian Haynes of Connecticut or Christian Mahogany of Boston College. Mason McCormick of South Dakota State is another talented guard in the draft class, as is Cooper Beebe of Kansas State.
The Las Vegas Raiders must replace right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who started for the last two seasons.
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders will have to replace Eluemunor, who signed with the Giants and reunited with former Raiders offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. Eluemunor made 34 starts in three seasons with the Silver and Black.
A potential replacement for Eluemunor is former New York Jets first-round selection Mekhi Becton, who has talent but has dealt with various injuries throughout his career.
The Raiders also could look at the draft for a right tackle, like Taliese Fuaga of Oregon State or JC Latham of Alabama.
If they want to wait to address right tackle in the draft, they could pick up Kiran Amegadjie of Yale or Blake Fisher of Notre Dame.
The Raiders also could also go in-house to replace Eluemunor with Thayer Munford Jr., who played 263 snaps at right tackle for them in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Raiders need to improve offensively to be a playoff team in 2024. They cannot do that if they don’t address the offensive line. Their left side is set, but the right side needs work.
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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