Raiders post-draft depth chart: Offensive line configuration remains cloudy

The marching orders were simple, as far as the just-completed NFL Draft.

”Let’s take the best players that we graded that we’ve thought all year long gave us the best opportunity to improve our football team,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said Saturday. “That’s what we tried to do each step of the way, and I think we’re happy with … look, every spot on our team is going to have competition. Whether we drafted somebody or didn’t draft somebody, there’s competition at every spot on the team.”

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Here’s an early look at where the Raiders’ depth chart stands today, with draft picks in italics. Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur agreed on most positions, with the exception of receiver and offensive line, plus there remains some ambiguity about which defensive front the Raiders will line up in:

Offense

Quarterback

Starter: Derek Carr

Backup: Nick Mullens

Other: Garrett Gilbert

Analysis: This is one of the least compelling positions on the roster. Carr, with his new haircut, is locked in for his ninth year as the starter after signing an extension this summer and Mullens is the clear choice as his backup. Mullens has made 17 starts in his career and is a solid player, so he would be able to handle the task of stepping in as a spot starter if needed — though Carr has only missed two games his entire career.

Vegas, baby. https://t.co/TtQQJPiBsX

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) April 29, 2022

Running back

Starter: Josh Jacobs

Backups: Kenyan Drake, Brandon Bolden, Zamir White

Others: Ameer Abdullah, Trey Ragas, Brittain Brown

Analysis: The Raiders declined the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ contract on Friday, and then drafted a running back the next day. Jacobs will still be a focal point of the offense in 2022 — McDaniels has a diverse run game including outside zone, power, duo and whams and will also include Jacobs in the passing game. If he can stay healthy and the offensive line improves, Jacobs can have a bounce-back year after a disappointing 2021 season.

Drake is recovering nicely from the broken ankle he suffered last year and is the best receiving back on the roster. Bolden is a reliable third-down back who can run, catch and pass block. White is a power runner, but he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the combine and has big-play potential. He needs to improve as a receiver and blocker, so he may have a more limited role this season, but he has long-term starting upside and could take over as soon as 2023 with Jacobs and Drake set to become unrestricted free agents after the season. The Patriots were known for a running back by committee approach and McDaniels has brought that same philosophy to Las Vegas.

Fullback

Starter: Jakob Johnson

Backup: Sutton Smith

Analysis: Johnson played for McDaniels with the Patriots for his first three seasons in the league before signing with the Raiders this spring. His highest usage came when he played 37 percent of the offensive snaps in 2020. New England had a more run-oriented offense that season built around Cam Newton, so Johnson will probably land somewhere closer to his usage last season when he played 28 percent of the offensive snaps. Smith will likely just be a training camp body.

Receiver

Starters: Davante Adams, Bryan Edwards, Hunter Renfrow (Reed)

Adams, Demarcus Robinson, Renfrow (Tafur)

Backups: Edwards/Robinson, Mack Hollins

Others: Tyron Johnson, Dillon Stoner, DJ Turner

Analysis: There will be a competition to determine who lines up as the other outside receiver opposite Adams. Edwards is an “X” receiver while Robinson is a “Z” receiver who can also play slot, but they’ll still be battling with each other since Adams can play both X and Z receiver. Robinson is the more proven receiver as a six-year veteran who’s started 42 games in his career, but Edwards has better size at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds and more upside at just 23 years old. Edwards has had a tendency to disappear on the field in his first two seasons, but he’s shown the ability to make big plays and should be given another shot as a starter if he can be more consistent throughout the offseason program and preseason.

Hollins is a big-bodied wideout who could be worked into red zone packages but will largely be a special teams contributor. Johnson is the fastest receiver on the roster and could have a shot at making the team, but he’s been unable to put it all together as a receiver and make an impact. The previous staff was high on Stoner — there were even some Jordy Nelson comps — but right now he is buried on the depth chart.

Tight end

Starter: Darren Waller

Backups: Foster Moreau, Jacob Hollister

Other: Nick Bowers

Analysis: Short-lived trade rumors aside, Waller will be back as the starting tight end. The hope is that his injury-plagued 2021 season was an aberration and that he’ll return to his dynamic self this season. If he does, the Raiders will have one of the best receiving trios in the league in Adams, Waller and Renfrow. Moreau is another receiving threat and should receive plenty of action as McDaniels clearly plans to use heavy personnel sets on offense pretty often. Hollister is a blocking tight end who played for McDaniels and the Patriots in his first two years in the league and has plenty of familiarity with his system. That knowledge probably helps him beat out Bowers, who’s another blocking tight end.

Offensive line

Starters: LT Kolton Miller, LG Denzelle Good, C Andre James, RG Alex Leatherwood, RT Brandon Parker (Reed)

LT Miller, LG Jermaine Eluemunor, C James, RG Good, RT Parker (Tafur)

Backups: G/C Dylan Parham, Eluemunor/Leatherwood, G John Simpson, OL Alex Bars

Others: T Thayer Munford, OL Hroniss Grasu, OL Jordan Meredith, G Lester Cotton Sr., T Jackson Barton, C Brett Heggie

Analysis: Outside of Miller and probably James, the rest of the starting unit is in flux. The door may not have closed on Leatherwood returning to right tackle, though you would never know as Ziegler and McDaniels try to out-vague each other when discussing the patchwork offensive line. Leatherwood lost the starting right tackle job last season as a rookie, and the new brass won’t say if they like him better at guard or tackle.

Good, Parham, Eluemunor and Simpson will also be vying for starting guard roles. At the same time, Parham could push James. Most teams projected him as a center in the NFL, even though he played guard and tackle at Memphis. Good and Eleumunor have started at guard and tackle in the NFL, and either or both could provide depth at those spots. And if all of that is not a big enough pile of questions, the Raiders could still sign a veteran tackle when they clear some cap space in June. At which point Parker would become one of the highest-paid swing tackles in the NFL.

Defense

Edge

Starters: Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones

Backups: Kyler Fackrell, Clelin Ferrell, Malcolm Koonce

Others: Tashawn Bower, Gerri Green

Analysis: A big part of the reason the Raiders feel comfortable about their questionable interior pass rush is what they have coming off the edge with the duo of Crosby and Jones. Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue were pretty good last season, but Crosby and Jones have a legitimate shot to be the best duo in the game. Fackrell would likely be the top pass rusher off the bench. He has 23 1/2 career sacks in six seasons and is an adequate run defender. Ferrell could be an option as a 3-4 defensive end, but he played some outside linebacker at Clemson. Koonce was an odd fit in the 4-3 defense the Raiders used last season, but he’ll be more at home as a 3-4 outside linebacker and may get more opportunities as a rotational pass rusher this season.

Interior defensive line

Starters: Bilal Nichols, Johnathan Hankins, Vernon Butler

Backups: Andrew Billings, Neil Farrell Jr., Matthew Butler

Other: Kyle Peko, Kendal Vickers

Reed: Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham refuses to identify his defense as a 3-4 or 4-3 front, but it’s pretty clear the Raiders have built their defensive line for a 3-4. They’ve prioritized big, strong, run-stopping defensive tackles through the draft and free agency. Hankins, Billings, Peko and Farrell are primarily nose tackles while Nichols, Vernon Butler and Matthew Butler appear to be better fits to line up mostly as 3-4 defensive ends. Nichols and Hankins feel like surefire starters, but there will be competition throughout the group and the linemen will rotate as the Raiders shift between 3-4 and 4-3 fronts and adapt their defense to match up against opposing offenses. The group is a little short on pass-rush juice — Nichols is the only veteran who had at least three sacks last season and Farrell and Matthew Butler are unproven rookies — but Ferrell could join this group as an inside rusher. This group has strong versatility and size and should be hard to run against.

Inside linebacker

Starters: Denzel Perryman, Divine Deablo

Backups: Jayon Brown, Micah Kiser

Other: Justin March-Lillard

Analysis: Perryman is a lock as the starting middle linebacker. Brown was a four-year starter with the Titans and was effective as a run defender, useful as a blitzer and reliable in pass coverage. Kiser didn’t play much last season with the Rams and Broncos, but he was a starter for the Rams in 2020 and played at a solid level. Brown probably has the better shot to push for a starting role and will be the first linebacker off the bench if Deablo is the starter. Perryman, Deablo and Brown will likely see the field together at some point. Perryman will probably still be a liability in pass coverage, so there’s also the chance that Brown or Kiser could replace him in more obvious passing situations. At least on paper, the Raiders have a deep, experienced and versatile linebacker corps.

Cornerback

Starters: Trayvon Mullen Jr., Rock Ya-Sin, Nate Hobbs

Backups: Anthony Averett, Darius Phillips

Other: Cre’Von LeBlanc, Amik Robertson

Analysis: Some may have questioned trading a pass rusher like Ngakoue for Ya-Sin, but he is a young corner who has gotten better every season in coverage and in avoiding penalties. Averett started 14 games for the Ravens last season and could theoretically push Mullen. Hobbs has the ability to play outside, too, but he thrived at nickelback last season and it makes more sense to keep him there. Averett would be the first outside corner off the bench while Phillips would be the backup at nickel. Barring a strong offseason performance, it’s difficult to see Robertson earning a roster spot this season. LeBlanc has better size, is more experienced and has inside-outside versatility, so he would probably be the choice if the Raiders want a sixth cornerback on the roster.

Safety

Starters: Tre’von Moehrig, Johnathan Abram

Backups: Duron Harmon, Tyree Gillespie

Other: Dallin Leavitt, Roderic Teamer

Analysis: Moehrig is the no-doubt starter at free safety coming off a strong rookie season, but the same can’t be said for Abram. His play improved as he transitioned into a full-time box safety role last season, but he was still exploited in coverage and suffered his second season-ending shoulder injury in three seasons. Graham has a spot for a box safety in single-high formations, but he often requires them to play in two-deep safety looks, an area where Abram has struggled. Harmon is more versatile as he can play free safety, box safety and even slot corner and the staff is familiar with him as he played for the Patriots from 2013 to 2019. We wouldn’t be surprised if Harmon ultimately replaces Abram, but we think the former first-round pick will be given a shot to show he deserves a starting role. Gillespie battled injuries last season and spent most of his time on special teams when healthy, but he should see more time on defense this season as Graham uses dime packages pretty heavily and often works multiple safeties into the rotation.

The overall quality of this group will mostly depend on whether the Raiders find a suitable answer at strong safety.

Special teams

Kicker: Daniel Carlson

Punter: AJ Cole

Long snapper: Trent Sieg

Analysis: The Raiders have a Pro Bowl-caliber kicking and street-fighting battery. Barring an injury, there’s no reason for them to bring in help here.

(Top photo of Andre James, Josh Jacobs, Bryan Edwards and Kolton Miller: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)