In a recent mock draft done by The Athletic, they had the Raiders picking in the middle of the first round. And to no one’s surprise, they selected an offensive tackle in Round 1.
The pick was Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who will be moving to offensive tackle during the 2022 college football season. Here is what they had to say about his potential fit in Las Vegas:
“It was a rough go for former Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood in Las Vegas, and the slide continued through training camp. The Raiders cut Leatherwood on Tuesday, so they really might need to look at OT next offseason.Johnson is still working on transitioning from guard to tackle, and he probably projects better on the left side. Though that could be a tricky fit with Kolton Miller already playing there for Las Vegas, the Raiders might not have any choice but to address a potential hole.”
From now until Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, you are going to see mock drafters match an offensive tackle with the Raiders in Round 1. After releasing Leatherwood before the 2022 season, the Raiders have a massive hole at right tackle that they need to fill next off-season.
Johnson wouldn’t be a bad fit on the right side of the offensive line for the Raiders, but he just doesn’t have a lot of experience playing on that side. Much like Leatherwood, he would need to make the transition from college left tackle to NFL right tackle.
Keep an eye on Johnson during the Ohio State-Notre Dame contest on Saturday night in Week 1 of the college football season.