One of the most surprising developments from Week 17 was the play of the offensive line for the Raiders. Going up against the NFL’s best defense and pass rush, they held up well on Sunday.
The most impressive performance came from rookie Dylan Parham, According to Pro Football Focus, Parham did not allow a single QB hit or sack on Sunday. Here is what they had to say about the third-round pick from Week 17:
“Dylan Parham had an impressive day for Las Vegas. The third-round guard from Memphis currently has a 74.2 grade on first review. He didn’t allow a sack or hit on 35 pass-blocking snaps, and he excelled in the run game, earning a 78.4 run-blocking grade.”
After a ton of concern about the offensive line entering the season, the Raiders have to be feeling good about the unit going into 2023. They’ll need to upgrade a few interior spots and could still use a long-term answer at right tackle, but that situation is nowhere near as dire as it was going into the season.
It helps that Parham has played nearly every snap this season and has improved dramatically since Week 1. While he might never become a Pro Bowl player, he does appear to have a long-term future at left guard for the Raiders.