Juiciest training camp battle for each NFL team
By Brad Weiss
Oakland Raiders: Kolton Miller vs. Breno Giacomini
The Oakland Raiders had a bunch of holes to fix this offseason, and unfortunately for them, a couple of their issues were up front on both sides of the ball. On the defense, they needed to bring in players in the interior of the defensive line, to take some of the pressure off of Khalil Mack on every play.
On offense, they needed a tackle, and they went out and got one via free agency prior to the 2018 NFL Draft. Breno Giacomini was supposed to come in and start at right tackle, and he has been with the first team during OTAs, but that could all change once Kolton Miller gets up to speed.
Miller was the Raiders unexpected first round draft pick this past April, as they selected the big fella out of UCLA with the No. 15 overall pick. Although most teams did not have a first round grade on Miller, the Raiders actually would have picked him earlier if they did not trade down with the Arizona Cardinals so the Cardinals could select Miller’s teammate, Josh Rosen.
Oakland also drafted Brandon Parker, a tackle out of North Carolina A&T in the third round, so there are plenty of bodies in the position group. However, the real battle will be between Giacomini and Miller, as the Raiders try to solidify what should be a pretty solid offensive line once again for Oakland.
Donald Penn, Rodney Hudson, and Gabe Jackson were all Pro Bowl players last season, so the Raiders have a nice opportunity to form one of the best offensive lines in football in 2018. Quarterback Derek Carr has been injured pretty badly the last two seasons, and with an aging running back, the offensive line is going to be under a microscope as we move towards the summer.