Raiders looking to draft to fill holes on offensive line (2024)

Going into the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders made it clear they saw the offensive line as an area of need. Although general manager Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce had nice things to say about how the group fared last year, they were also honest about their desire to improve the unit.

“Our offensive line has a lot of holes,” Telesco said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. “We have to figure that all out. It’s going to be a collaborative effort among the coaching staff and personnel staff to get this thing moving.”

The Raiders were above average in pass protection last year. They allowed a pressure rate of just 31.1 percent (sixth in the league), gave up 40 sacks (T-12th) and surrendered 84 quarterback hits (11th), according to TruMedia.

In the run game, though, they struggled. The offense managed just 90.7 rushing yards per game (30th) and 3.7 yards per carry (28th), and the O-line struggled on third downs and in the red zone. Overall, the unit held the offense back.

During the offseason, however, the Raiders haven’t done much to address the line in terms of personnel. They re-signed center Andre James and guard Jordan Meredith and this week signed free-agent lineman Cody Whitehair, who has starting experience at both guard and center. On the other hand, they let offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor walk in free agency, have allowed guard Greg Van Roten and center Hroniss Grasu to sit on the open market and released guard D.J. Fluker.

The Raiders believe one way they’ll get better offensive line play is through the scheme. They used a combination blocking setup under former coach Josh McDaniels and former offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, but they have switched to a zone-based approach under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and offensive line coach James Cregg.

During the second half of last season, the Raiders started to have more success running the ball. From Week 9 through the end of the season, they averaged 109.1 rushing yards per game (16th) and 4.2 yards per carry (18th).

“We started to change it up a little bit,” James said Monday. “We started running a little bit more zone and a little bit more mid-zone. That fit who we are as an offensive line.”

Still, the Raiders have to add more bodies along the offensive line. They have just eight offensive linemen on the roster. That’s not enough to make it through the offseason, let alone the regular season. Shoring up that group will be pivotal to the team’s success in 2024 and going forward.

“I would like to build this team — I think me and Telesco see it the same way — in the trenches,” Pierce said in February. “We can go and get skill guys and get the quarterback. But, hell, if nobody’s blocking for ’em, what does it matter? I would love to see us really be sound up front.”

There are starting-caliber offensive linemen and quality backups who remain available in free agency. Pursuing offensive line help through the NFL Draft next week would be cheaper and is probably the more prudent path to take, but the Raiders will likely lean on a mix of the two.

“Usually, O-line consistency takes a number of years to get there,” Telesco said. “It just takes time to build that and get that together.”

Here’s a breakdown of where each position stands on the Raiders offensive line.

One motto: Get better pic.twitter.com/6JHJvqomp9

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 15, 2024

Center

James received a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason, so he’s locked in as the starter for the foreseeable future. He has been solid and has only missed three games since becoming the starter in 2021.

“Hard working. Warrior,” Pierce said of James last month. “He’s got that grit to him. He’s got that mentality that you want in the O-line room. He was kind of the glue up front.”

From a depth standpoint, the Raiders are set here. Guards Dylan Parham, Whitehair, Meredith and Ben Brown all have experience at center. If James misses time, Parham and Whitehair would be the most likely candidates to step in.

Guard

Parham has been the starter at left guard since he was drafted in 2022. He has also started games at center and the Raiders considered moving him there full-time, but they correctly predicted that the top free-agent guards would be too expensive and will therefore keep him at guard. Still, his versatility is something the coaching staff values.

“It’s good when you have somebody that has that kind of position flex,” Pierce said. “It gives us a lot of options.”

The question becomes whether Parham remains at left guard or moves over to the right side. Whitehair, whom the Raiders gave a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, has spent most of the last three seasons as the Chicago Bears’ starter at left guard. He has played just 33 snaps at right guard since 2019. That would seem to indicate that Whitehair is likelier to stay at left guard, but the Raiders aren’t making any final decisions this early in the calendar.

Whatever role Whitehair fills, he brings value as a veteran who has experience working with Getsy, who coached Whitehair with the Bears in 2022 and 2023. As OTAs continue, Whitehair will be able to help bring the other offensive linemen up to speed.

“It’s always helpful having a guy who’s familiar with the offense and familiar with the scheme and the system,” James said. “(We can) kind of pick his brain and get some of the keys and some of the information that he’s got.”

Guard stands out as a position the Raiders should look to improve in the draft. Parham has been only decent so far in his career, and Whitehair was benched for six of the Bears’ final seven games last season due to poor performance. Bringing in a rookie who could compete for a starting role and provide depth would make a lot of sense. If they feel they need another veteran, they could look to sign someone like Mark Glowinski (New York Giants) or Dalton Risner (Minnesota Vikings) or bring back Van Roten.

Tackle

Kolton Miller struggled to stay healthy last season and made just 11 starts, but there’s no questioning his role as the starting left tackle. What has yet to be determined is the Raiders’ plan at right tackle.

As it stands, Thayer Munford is the only answer on the roster. While he has never been a full-time starter, he has logged plenty of snaps in his first two seasons at both left and right tackle and frequently served as the sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages. In the 15 games he played last season, he was in for 57 percent of the Raiders’ offensive snaps.

“Thayer’s developed a lot in these last couple of years,” James said. “I’m excited to watch what he can do. We’ve seen him come in and fill in for a lot of different positions. I think he looks really comfortable anywhere he’s been playing. And watching him work out, he’s done a lot to his body. He has really good footwork. He’s able to move really well, especially for how big of a person he is. I’m excited to see how he grows.”

Neither of the other two offensive tackles on the roster — Jalen McKenzie and Dalton Wagner — have played in an NFL game, so Munford is the clear front-runner. That could change, though, if the Raiders select an offensive tackle early in the draft.

“There’s some big boys, man,” Pierce said of this year’s offensive tackle class. “That tackle group … you’re talking about a bunch of trees around at the combine and at these pro days. It’s impressive.”

If the Raiders aren’t able to land a rookie they’re confident can contribute in Year 1, they’ll need to turn to free agency for insurance. Among the remaining free agents, Andrus Peat (New Orleans Saints), Chris Hubbard (Tennessee Titans), Mekhi Becton (New York Jets) and Charles Leno Jr. (Washington Commanders) stand out as players who could be brought in to compete with Munford.

(Photo of Greg Van Roten and Andre James: Candice Ward / Getty Images)