Oakland Raiders: Kolton Miller should take more reps at right tackle

Through the spring, the Oakland Raiders took a long look at offensive tackle Kolton Miller on the left side. Should they give him more reps on the right?

The Oakland Raiders came into the 2018 NFL Draft with the No. 10 overall pick and traded with the Arizona Cardinals who surrendered pick Nos. 15, 79 and 152. They selected their future signal-caller Josh Rosen. The Silver and Black picked up Rosen’s UCLA teammate and protector in Kolton Miller.

Oakland passed on Minkah Fitzpatrick, who would’ve reunited with Derrick Ansley. The Raiders defensive coach held the same position with the Crimson Tide over the past two years.

Still, we all understand Carr holds the key to the Raiders’ success. At 35 years old, Donald Penn underwent Lisfranc surgery during the offseason. There’s also a void to fill at right tackle. Based on roster needs, the selection makes sense.

According to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez, the Raiders have decided to utilize Miller almost exclusively on the left side during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, which seems counterproductive to their immediate needs:

Unless Oakland plans to release Penn, the 12th-year veteran, coming off consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, will likely start on the blind side, which leaves Miller in a reserve role.

Breno Giacomini and rookie third-rounder Brandon Parker took majority reps on the right side through the spring. According to Pro Football Focus, the 32-year old ranked last among offensive tackles taking 50 percent of their team’s snaps last year. He missed 11 games during the 2016 campaign with a back injury and listed 56th out 61 qualifiers in 2015.

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The Raiders could start Parker opposite Penn, but he has less experience at right tackle than Miller, who started 10 games at that spot between his freshman and sophomore seasons at UCLA. The North Carolina A&T product lined up on the left side for the past three campaigns, earning MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in each term.

Offensive line coach Tom Cable saw something special in David Sharpe during practices (per Raiders.com):

"“I see right tackles in this league. There aren’t a few good ones, and I think this guy has the potential. It doesn’t mean anything right yet, but he has the potential to be a really good football player. It’ll be up to him whether he chooses to do that or not.”"

At Florida, Sharpe spent the majority of his snaps at left tackle before declaring for the 2017 draft. The fourth-rounder could offer versatility as a swing tackle and backup plan in case Penn suffers a setback.

Typically, we view left tackle as a premium position handling the opponent’s best pass-rusher. However, it’s not the case with every defensive front. According to PFF, the Los Angeles Chargers frequently swapped Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram on the edge. The former rushed off the left 55 percent of the time. The latter nearly split his duties with a 51 to 49 percent ratio on each side.

Arizona Cardinals pass-rusher Chandler Jones, last year’s sack leader, came off the right side 81 percent of the time.

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Regardless, teams will attempt to attack the weaker side to pressure Carr. The Raiders may opt to release Penn once his cap hit reaches $10.4 million next season, but in the meantime, the coaching staff should prepare to start the best five up front.

As a first-round pick with experience lining up on both sides, it’s best to find out where Miller fits best as opposed to a predetermined approach that could leave Carr vulnerable on the right and a top-15 pick on the sideline for his rookie season.