Raiders' Front Office Eager To See This Change in Action

The Las Vegas Raiders have had several things not go their way over the past few seasons. However, the lack of depth along the offensive line was their undoing last year, and they had no one to blame but themselves. Games are won and lost in the trenches, which the Raiders know all too well.

Raiders' Woes

The Raiders rushed for the fewest yards of any team in the National Football League. Geno Smith also threw the most interceptions of any quarterback in the league last season; both of those things happened largely because of a bad offensive line. The unit allowed the most sacks in the league.

Although injuries to Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson made matters worse, the unit was struggling even before those injuries. It is fair to argue that positional coaching also played a significant role. That should not be a problem now, as Las Vegas has a new coaching staff.

"Well, super excited to have Rico [Rick Dennison] here. He's super accredited. I think he's got four Super Bowls, Super Bowl rings, and it seems like everywhere he goes, they run the football and they protect the quarterback, and that's a pretty good place to start with an offensive line,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said at the team’s pre-draft press conference.

“In terms of the draft this year, I'm happy that we added the guys we did, but I've never been anywhere where you feel like you've got too many offensive linemen. They're such a hard position to acquire, whether it's in the draft, it's almost impossible in free agency, it feels like, especially at certain positions."

Raiders' Priority

Las Vegas already made a significant addition to its offensive line this offseason by adding veteran center Tyler Linderbaum. He was one of the best players available in free agency, and the Raiders signed him to a historic deal. Still, Spytek noted that the offensive line will be a focus moving forward.

“And just because we've added certain guys through free agency, doesn't mean that we won't be looking for offensive linemen too. I'm on record of saying they're sexy as hell, and I stand by that," Spytek said.

The Raiders have produced one of the worst rushing offenses in the league each of the past three years, even after adding Ashton Jeanty last offseason with the No. 6 overall pick. With three picks in the fourth round, the Raiders have plenty of chances to add solid depth along the line.

Fixing the offensive line and improving the ground game are two aspects. They must also begin rebuilding the offensive line in preparation to protect Fernando Mendoza for many years to come. Next week's draft is the perfect opportunity to begin revamping the back end of the unit.

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