The Raiders picked Memphis offensive lineman Dylan Parham with their top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. That move has received a ton of praise over the last few days as most draftniks had him being selected much higher.
But who does Parham compare to in the NFL? There just aren’t sub 6’3 offensive linemen in the league who can play tackle and guard.
In a recent article by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, he spoke highly of Parham and even compared him to former Patriots guard Shaq Mason. Here is a snippet of Brugler’s thoughts on the No. 90 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft:
“Despite not having a top-80 draft pick, the Raiders still came out of this weekend with a quality haul. Parham, who was my No. 72 overall prospect, reminded me a lot of Shaq Mason, a player with whom new Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is very familiar. Parham logged double-digit starts at left guard, right guard and right tackle in college, but many believe center will be his best long-term position.”
Like Mason, Parham is an undersized offensive lineman who will primarily play inside in the NFL. But both players have a lot of power and can move much bigger players off the line of scrimmage.
With Josh McDaniels coaching a similar player in Mason while in New England, he should know how to get the best out of Parham. It still remains to be seen where the Raiders will play him, but expect Parham to be a key piece of the offensive line this year for Las Vegas.