The Raiders made several massive moves this offseason and handed out nearly a billion dollars in new contracts. But none of that is going to matter if the Raiders can’t improve on the offensive line.
However, they did take steps to improve the unit this offseason. They selected Dylan Parham with their first pick and they are hopeful that a few of their younger offensive linemen continue to develop.
One such player is Alex Leatherwood, who had a rough rookie season with the Raiders. But how is he looking heading into Year 2?
In a recent article by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, he wrote about the biggest surprise during offseason workouts for the Raiders. That included Leatherwood, who has taken hold of the right tackle job. Here is what Gutierrez had to say about the former first-round pick:
“The oft-maligned 2021 first-round pick, who was moved from right tackle to right guard after just four games last season, spent a lot of time back at right tackle this offseason.
He was drafted to be a tackle and, as coach Josh McDaniels said, Leatherwood would be given every opportunity to win the gig back. So getting that much time on the outside should do wonders for his confidence, as well as put him on track to reclaim his old job. Whether that’s a positive development for the offensive line as a whole remains to be seen.”
It’s hard to take too much away from unpadded practices, but there has been a solid drumbeat of positive news coming out of Raiders’ camp regarding Leatherwood. He appears to be more comfortable at right tackle and it seems like he has performed better than any of his competitors.
If Leatherwood can prove to be a solid right tackle in Year 2, you could see a significant improvement across the entire offensive line for the Raiders. He is one of the biggest X-factors for the team this season as their success could greatly depend on how Leatherwood performs this year.