Raiders' OL Will Help Establish Identity

The Las Vegas Raiders want to establish a tough offensive identity. The offensive line will help them do that.

Las Vegas Raiders OL Dylan Parham, Andre James, Cody Whitehair / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to improve on offense after an inconsistent 2023. 

One major way they will look to do that is by establishing an offensive identity. Under Coach Antonio Pierce, the Raiders have begun to make that happen. 

The Raiders will look to establish the run and play smash-mouth football, wearing teams down at the line of scrimmage and looking to control time of possession. 

They will also often throw to their top receiving options, but it starts with the run game in Las Vegas. Bringing in Luke Getsy as the offensive coordinator should only help make that happen. 

The other element of this Raiders offense that will help them establish an identity is their offensive line. The Raiders’ O-Line has been underrated league-wide over the last couple of seasons. 

Pierce hired James Cregg, who spent time with the Raiders in 2007, as his offensive line coach. The Raiders will rely on him to coach up and develop this current unit. 

It should not be difficult when he has a player like left tackle Kolton Miller, who has developed into one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Having a franchise cornerstone like Miller can set the tone for the rest of the offensive line and protect Gardner Minshew II.

The Raiders have a rookie left guard in Jackson Powers-Johnson, who is moving to the position from center. Powers-Johnson played multiple positions on the offensive line during his time at Oregon, though, so it should not be a difficult transition. 

Powers-Johnson is a mauler in the run game and plays incredibly tough. He perfectly fits the culture Pierce is creating. 

Andre James has been a consistent presence at center and should continue to be that in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, James earned a 75.0 run-blocking grade, ranking ninth among all centers. 

Dylan Parham makes the move to right guard after spending the last two seasons at left. He has been a steady player and has improved slightly each year. His big frame should help the Raiders run the football all game.

Thayer Munford gets his opportunity to start at right tackle, looking to stave off third-round selection DJ Glaze for the starting job. 

This group has been carefully selected and will be a major reason the Raiders can establish the run in 2024.

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