As the Oakland Raiders found out last Sunday, it's important to protect your franchise quarterback. Second-year quarterback Derek Carr bruised his hand while stiff-arming Cincinnati cornerback Adam Jones in Week 1. While he isn't expected to miss this week's game, he certainly sent a scare through the Raiders organization.
Believe it or not, the Raiders were a solid pass-blocking team last season. They finished 2014 ranked seventh in sacks allowed (28) and fifth in QB hits (56). Some of that may be connected to Carr's reluctance to throw deep (his 5.46 yards per attempt ranked dead last among 33 quarterbacks), but it's still encouraging to see. However, protecting your most important player is a never-ending job which is why the Raiders may look for even more help in that area.
Although draft projections this far out rarely tend to be accurate, determining how teams view certain players and where they are projected to go is a valuable exercise. As of now, WalterFootball.com predicts the Raiders to hold the No. 3overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and select Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
"The Raiders got Derek Carr a No. 1 receiver in the 2015 NFL draft, but they had to pass on what many considered the top defender, Leonard Williams," Charlie Campbell wrote. "Sources with Oakland said that left tackle Donald Penn had perhaps the best year of his career last season, but the team did a lot of scheming to help him. With a new system and Penn aging, getting the Raiders a long-term left tackle for Carr makes sense.
"Stanley is athletic and quick. He possesses good length to him and sustains his blocks well. Stanley has the speed and agility to mirror speed rushers, and at times, he can get movement in the ground game. His significant athleticism allows him to hit blocks downfield as well. It wouldn't hurt Stanley to add more power for the next level though.
"Stanley (6-5, 315) generated a ton of late-season buzz in 2014, and he put an exclamation point on it by getting the better of the top 2015 NFL Draft-eligible defensive lineman in USC's Leonard Williams in limited plays against each other. In 2013, Stanley started at right tackle and was part of a line that allowed only eight sacks on the season."
New head coach Jack Del Rio is placing an emphasis on the run game, so Stanley may not be his top choice when the draft finally rolls around. But it's clear you can never have too many good blockers up front for your quarterback. Look for the Raiders to add to that unit with an early-round pick next year.
