Raiders Have Competition at Offensive Line Spots

The Las Vegas Raiders had offensive line questions to address going into this offseason.

They addressed those questions, adding guard Cody Whitehair in free agency, guard Jackson Powers-Johnson in the 2024 NFL Draft and guard/tackle Andrus Peat after the draft.

The Raiders filled their offensive line holes, and now, they will let competition decide who will earn starting roles.

This is a good problem for the Raiders. Their offensive line was a strength of the team in the last two seasons, but Coach Antonio Pierce may feel that it could be better going into next season.

Dylan Parham has held down the left guard spot for the last two seasons. However, the Raiders drafted Powers-Johnson in the second round. Powers-Johnson was a center in college but looks to make the move to guard at the next level.

During rookie minicamp, Powers-Johnson was playing left guard. Could there be a competition brewing between Dylan Parham and Powers-Johnson for the starting role?

It would be a bit surprising but not unprecedented for an incumbent starter to have a talented rookie push them for a starting job, and Powers-Johnson has a good chance to make a serious push.

If Powers-Johnson does not earn the left guard spot, he could have an easier path to starting at right guard. The team signed Whitehair as a veteran presence at that spot, but Powers-Johnson is slated to be part of its future, so it has Whitehair as quality depth.

The other position of intrigue on the offensive line is at right tackle. The Raiders said goodbye to Jermaine Eluemunor during free agency, so they are left to decide who will take over his 1,845 snaps played in the last two seasons.

Former seventh-round selection Thayer Munford played a significant amount of snaps last year at right tackle and could be in line for the starting role. However, the Raiders brought in Peat, a three-time Pro Bowler who has played guard and tackle in his career. The team also selected Maryland tackle DJ Glaze in the third round of this year's draft.

As OTAs and training camp arrive, the Raiders will have the chance to watch these players compete for starting spots and see who comes out on top. This team will hold these spots among many training camp battles during the summer.

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