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How close are the Las Vegas Raiders to finding their way back to the NFL playoffs?
The Raiders ended last season with a record of 6-11 after they went 10-7 the season before, putting them in third place in the AFC West and 13th in the AFC.
Las Vegas will have plenty to look out for after making a multitude of moves in the offseason. It signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, adding a signal caller with two Super Bowl championships and nine years of NFL experience. Former New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was signed to a three-year, $33 million contract the same month. The Raiders brought in nine rookies via the 2023 NFL Draft, including Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.
Who is one surprise player who could make or break the Raiders' 2023 NFL season?
Jermaine Eluemunor
Eluemunor, a former fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M, has played in 70 games and started in 31 for three different franchises since he was first selected with the 159th pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Raiders re-signed Eluemunor with the Raiders in March.
Eluemunor will enter his third season with Las Vegas after he suited up for 31 games and started in 20 for the squad in the last two years. He played in 100% of the Raiders' snaps on offense in 10 games and 70% or more in 13 during the team's 2022 campaign, according to Pro Football Reference.
Eluemunor finished last season with a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 76.1, putting him on par with New England Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown and Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras at about 50th in the league among players who played in 300 or more pass-blocking snaps in the regular and postseason. He added a 75.7 run-blocking grade and an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 75.3 while allowing three total sacks.
The 28-year-old tackle will join an offensive line featuring a few key returning players for the Raiders. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller and center Andre James will be under contract for Las Vegas in 2023, according to sports contracts and salaries website Spotrac. Guard Dylan Parham, a third-round pick in the 2022 draft who started in 17 games for Las Vegas in 2022, will return to the line in 2023.
Parham reviewed the importance of versatility after he played snaps at left guard, right guard and center in 2022.
“Obviously that was something that I was really focused on within my first year,” Parham said, via Raiders Today. “Before you get into the league, it's just you really don't have your role, so one thing Josh (McDaniels) always taught us was: ‘You make your role whatever it is. Whatever you make it, that's your role.'
“So for me, I was just thinking, I didn't know where I was going to be at. I didn't know where I was going to start at. So, I've never really had a thought, ‘Okay, once I get there, get comfortable.' Because I knew that in the league anything can fluctuate from guard to center. And I knew I was gonna be interior, I just never had the thought of what it would be.”
If Eluemunor and the rest of the offensive line can be solid anchors for both the passing and running game, the Raiders should have plenty to look forward to as the 2023 NFL season progresses.
