Las Vegas Raiders Could Have Immediate Starter In Dylan Parham
The Las Vegas Raiders focused on the trenches in the 2022 NFL Draft, and might have landed an immediate starter in Dylan Parham.
The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off their offseason with some splash moves. They traded away Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts for corner Rock Ya-Sin. To replace Ngakoue, the Raiders brought in Chandler Jones, who has continued to be a consistent disruptor on the edge. Then, the blockbuster came, as the Raiders traded away their first and second round picks for wide receiver Davante Adams.
The offensive skill positions are loaded in Vegas, but the one thing that is missing on that side of the ball is more consistency on the offensive line. Alex Leatherwood is still figuring things out, and the interior doesn’t have too much juice. The Raiders did look that direction in the 2022 NFL Draft, selecting Dylan Parham in the third round and Thayer Munford on day three.
Munford has a lot of pedigree coming from Ohio State, and has played multiple positions along that offensive line, but the Las Vegas Raiders may have found an early starter in Dylan Parham.
Parham has done work all along the line for the Memphis Tigers, from getting starts at guard as a redshirt freshman in 2018, to starting a full season at both guard spots, and a full season starting at right tackle in 2020. He has impressive technique in pass protection, stays balanced, and rarely gives up pressure against quicker interior rushers.
But, because of his size, Parham might have to learn another position. He got some reps at center at the Senior Bowl, and after just clearing 300 pounds, that’s likely his best position for Sundays. The good news is that Parham has the initial quicks, pulling experience, and athleticism to space block and succeed in zone concepts.
The Las Vegas Raiders need to find some stability along their offensive line, and Parham can be that at center. They’re in dire need of someone to step up in that area, and with someone who’s handled both defensive tackles and defensive ends, his technique versus power is plenty good enough to handle things at center. Don’t be surprised if Parham starts plenty of games and succeeds early in Vegas.