Las Vegas Raiders are interested in a top prospect that they desperately need but everyone is overlooking
It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need some help on the offensive line. If they want the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Geno Smith, at his best, then they need to protect him as good as they can. Smith was good last year — it wasn't his best season, but it surely wasn't his […]
It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need some help on the offensive line. If they want the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Geno Smith, at his best, then they need to protect him as good as they can.
Smith was good last year — it wasn't his best season, but it surely wasn't his worst. But when you watch the tape and look at the advanced analytics, Smith was constantly under pressure and creating something out of nothing. The Seahawks' offensive line was that bad last season.
And, the Raiders' offensive line was bad last season, too. Not quite as bad, but bad. Sure, Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell had their own issues. But the offensive line also prevented them from playing at their absolute best at times. Las Vegas allowed the fifth-most quarterback hits and had their two starting tackles in the top ten in Blown Blocks, per Sports Info Solutions.
So, yes, they do need some reconstructing in the trenches on that side of the ball. The only addition they made through free agency was former Cincinnati Bengals guard Alex Cappa, who was statistically the worst offensive lineman in football last year.
It would be smart if the Raiders drafted at least two offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft, but at the same time, everything they have said sounds like they believe in what they have.
Then again, they are visiting with a guy that they could desperately use.
Raiders to visit with OL Will Campbell
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Raiders have visited with LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell this week. Campbell is projected to be a top-15 pick, maybe even earlier than that. A trade-back scenario to grab him would be an interesting thing to see.
Campbell is good, like very good. But, a lot of NFL Draft experts and analysts predict he will be a better guard at the NFL level, as he's got short arms, which usually doesn't translate well to the offensive tackle position. That's not to say he can't play tackle in the NFL, but merely a foreshadowing of what could happen.
In the SEC, he went against some of the best defensive line talent in the entire country last year, and yet, the last three years he's only allowed two total sacks, with two of them coming this last year on 558 pass block snaps.
He's not a terrible run blocker, either; in fact, he has the tools to be elite there. However, he isn't yet. But he can be an instant starter.
Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Mock Draft: Plans may have changed after releasing cornerback Jack Jones
The Raiders may be switching it up.
