The Raiders were able to fill a ton of holes during the 2023 NFL Draft. They added an elite pass rusher (Tyree Wilson) along with the best all-around tight end (Michael Mayer) in the class.
However, one spot that the Raiders did not address during the draft was the offensive line. They were interested in picking Paris Johnson Jr. (Ohio State) at No. 7, but he went off the board to the Cardinals one pick before they were on the clock.
But could the Raiders now use free agency to improve their offensive line? In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he suggested that the Raiders sign OG Dalton Risner to fill their hole at right guard. Here is why Spielberger believes that signing would make a ton of sense:
The Raiders added more receiving and blocking talent in the draft with tight end Michael Mayer but otherwise invested fairly heavily in defense, which is understandable. Risner has been a consistently above-average blocker who excels in pass blocking, posting four straight years with a 69.5-plus pass-blocking grade.
Las Vegas needs to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo clean, so adding Risner to the interior of the offensive line would go a long way. Plus, they could sell him on the chance to play his former team, the Denver Broncos, twice a year.
Risner isn’t a star by any means, but he would be an upgrade over Alex Bars at right guard. But will the Raiders invest any more money in their offensive line or do they want to wait until they get to training camp before making another move?
That remains to be seen, but adding a player like Risner does make a lot of sense as it’s their biggest hole on the roster. Look for Risner to be scooped up by a team in the next few weeks as we inch closer to training camp in July.
