Raiders Top Five Opponents by Position: Offensive Tackle

Arguably the most critical position in football, aside from quarterback, has to be the left tackle position.

Protecting the franchise quarterback is not only essential, but it is also precious.

Tackles are versatile, reliable, and quick; they can hold back pass rushers and go out and make colossal blocks on running plays.

As we continue to preview the Raiders' top five matchups by positions, we will look ahead of the top tackles the Raiders will face this season.

While the Raiders are building a pass rush through young players, the best way to gain experience is through playing against the best linemen in football.

Luckily for them, they will get a chance to play against a good group of tackles throughout this season.

The Silver and Balck will play against two of the top five tackles, including the best-rated tackle from a year ago. The top three tackles did not allow a single sack the entire season a year ago.

Top Five Tackles

At No. 5 is Indianapolis Colts' left tackle Anthony Castonzo. Castonzo had one of his best seasons, despite allowing three sacks a year ago and is the third-best pass blocker the Raiders will face, according to PFF. He has been a reliable tackle dating to quarterback Andrew Luck's rookie season. His ability to go out and block is why he is on this list. A versatile tackle can create problems if the Colts' offensive line begins to win the line of scrimmage. Expect this game to be a close one, as both teams will be looking to make a push into the playoffs when they meet in Week 14.

At No. 4 is a new addition to the Los Angeles Chargers offensive line, veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga. The former Green Bay Packer brings years of experience and success, after being part of a Super Bowl-winning team early in his career. It might take a few games for the Chargers to build chemistry upfront, but no matter what, you can't take away how skillful Bulaga is. He can impose his will on the running and passing games, and with running backs like Austin Ekeler who can do both, expect Bulaga to be his leading man upfront. The Raiders will have plenty of time to scout Bulaga and prepare for match-ups in Weeks 9 and 15.

This is where things get interesting, at No. 3, we have New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead. The Raiders will know who Armstead is in their home opener in Week 2. Pro Football Focus graded him at 85.0 in pass blocking, fifth-best among tackles in the NFL. Armstead will be the best-left tackle the Raiders will face this year. The blindside protector of quarterback Drew Brees allowed zero sacks last season. If the Raiders can't penetrate the line quick enough, expect Brees to air it out all night long.

At No. 2, we have right tackle Mitchell Schwartz of the divisional rival Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders will once again see him twice this year, in Weeks 5 and 11. According to PFF, Schwartz comes in as the third-best offensive graded tackle from a year ago. Schwartz is another tackle the Raiders will face who did not allow a sack in 2019. His dominance up front makes it easy for Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes to do his thing. If the Raiders plan to sack Mahomes, they better know that Schwartz will be in their way.

At the top of the list for the best match-up against offensive tackles for the Raiders is Saints' right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. Ramczyk comes in as the second-best run-blocking tackle with a grade of 92.1 and earned the No. 1 offensive grade at tackle from PFF. Ramczyk, along with teammate Armstead, allowed zero sacks in 2019. Week 2 doesn't favor the Raiders; they already face the best pass-blocking tackle, now they will have to add one of the best-run blocking tackles in the league in that same game.

The Raiders will have a challenging match-ups going against two of the top five tackles in the same game. Whatever the results are, I see the Raiders learning from this one and taking the experience to face other notable offensive lines in the weeks ahead.

Other notable tackles that missed the list were, Jake Andrews of the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns' addition Jack Conklin, who left the Tennessee Titans this offseason.

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