The Raiders have a number of players who could have bigger roles this year than in the previous one. They’ve acquired a ton of new players over the last year-and-half and this might be the first season we some of those acquisitions make an impact.
In a recent article by ESPN, Mike Clay Jr. and Seth Walder ranked all 32 rosters heading into the 2023 season. They named every team’s strengths, weaknesses, and biggest X-factor going into the year.
They also named one non-starter that you should keep an eye on this year for every franchise. And for the Raiders, that player was veteran offensive lineman Justin Herron. Here is what the site had to say about the former tackle for the New England Patriots:
The Raiders traded for him last year, though he tore his ACL in October shortly thereafter. Herron recorded a 90% pass block win rate at tackle (above average) in 2020, his rookie season. He wasn’t as good the following year, but anyone that was solid in pass protection right away seems like good depth to have.
Herron is likely to compete with Brandon Parker and Thayer Munford for the swing tackle spot. But there is also a chance that he could battle for the starting right guard spot if Alex Bars were to struggle.
Going into his age 28 season, Herron has started just 10 games in the NFL. But he is a solid option that could battle his way up into the starting lineup in no time. Don’t be surprised if he rises up the depth chart now that he is in Year 2 with the team.
