The Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to release former first-round offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood as part of final cuts on Tuesday put an official end to one of the worst multi-year draft hauls any team has had in recent NFL history. Under former head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock, the Raiders had a total of five first-round picks from 2019 through 2021. Of the five players picked — Leatherwood in 2021, receiver Henry Ruggs III and cornerback Damon Arnette in 2020, and edge-rusher Clelin Ferrell and running back Josh Jacobs in 2019 — only Jacobs is still with the team, and there was some noise this offseason about Jacobs being on his way out.
Leatherwood didn’t have the history of off-field issues that Ruggs and Arnette did; the Raiders’ decision to release him was based entirely on performance. In his rookie season of 2021, per Pro Football Focus, Leatherwood allowed eight sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and 42 quarterback hurries in 770 pass-blocking snaps. Those 67 total pressures were the most allowed by any offensive lineman last season. Leatherwood was also flagged for 16 penalties; only Connor Williams of the Cowboys, and Oli Udoh of the Vikings had more, with 17 each.
