The Raiders made some massive improvements to the roster this offseason on both sides of the ball. Now, their team looks ready to compete for the division title.
However, the one spot that could hold them back is their offensive line. The team brought back Brandon Parker in the offseason but didn’t sign an outside receiver. Instead, they are likely to look to the draft for offensive line help.
In a recent mock draft by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he had the Raiders selecting an offensive lineman in Round 1. The pick was Darian Kinnard, a former offensive tackle from Kentucky. Here is a snippet of Reed’s thoughts on the possible fit with the Raiders:
“The 6-foot-5, 322-pound Kinnard could compete for starting reps early, but he could also benefit from taking some time to develop as a versatile backup. Kinnard is only 22 years old, so he’s far from a finished prospect and can undoubtedly improve with development.
The Raiders already relying on a lot of youth along the O-line with Leatherwood, James and Simpson in the mix, but that almost has to be their approach considering the financial resources they’re spending elsewhere on the offense.”
This would be a home-run selection if Kinnard is available to them at pick No. 86. He’s got multiple years of SEC experience and can play several different positions on the offensive line. His best position might be guard in the NFL, but he certainly could play right tackle if needed.
Kinnard is among the dream picks in the third round for the Raiders and he would help improve the offensive line by leaps and bounds in 2022.