The Las Vegas Raiders have tried hard to improve this offseason after having a terrible 2024 campaign.
A new front office and coaching staff should be good starts, and the team also added solid players in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Quarterback Geno Smith, linebacker Elandon Roberts, and safety Jeremy Chinn were the biggest-named veteran additions, and many loved what the team did in the draft.
The team’s first pick was running back Ashton Jeanty, who should help elevate what was the league’s worst run game last season. Some other solid picks who could make immediate impacts are wide receiver Jack Bech and cornerback Darien Porter.
However, one player who has already been on the roster could end up cementing his status as an elite talent in 2025.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently identified five players who could be set for huge seasons in 2025. Dylan Parham, who starts at right guard for the Raiders, was listed as one of these players.
Regarding Parham’s potential ascension to stardom, Trapasso offered the following:
The former third-round pick from Memphis has steadily honed his protection talents in each of his first three seasons in Sin City. I vividly remember scouting him, and his anchoring strength and pure power stood at the top of his draft resume. In watching his film in 2024, he appears more nimble than ever, and he can really go toe-to-toe with the strongest interior rushers in the game in genuine one-on-one situations.
While he allowed 10 more pressures in 2024 than he did the previous season on fewer pass-blocking snaps, his wins were more dominant, and he made considerable strides in the run game, where his climbs to the second level were more dynamic and accurate finding linebackers. And now he’ll be blocking in Chip Kelly’s spread-based system with a quarterback in Geno Smith who’ll get the ball out in a hurry.
As Trapasso mentioned, Parham has steadily been improving each year in the NFL.
In 2024, the guard started 14 games at right guard and earned a 74.3 overall Pro Football Focus grade. That grade ranked 24th out of 136 qualified guards, showcasing Parham’s improvement.
Parham was dinged for five sacks in 2024, but much of that can be attributed to poor quarterback play and not much help along the line. As Trapasso pointed out, Parham should do better with Geno Smith at quarterback, who knows how to get the ball out quickly.
Parham has been even better as a run blocker in the NFL, and the Raiders now have a dynamic player in Jeanty in the backfield. If Jeanty has a massive rookie season, it can be most likely be attributed to Parham’s run-blocking prowess.
If Parham indeed improves in 2025, the Raiders will have to shell out a nice amount of cash as the guard is slated to hit free agency next offseason. The Raiders already have left tackle and center figured out, with Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson, respectively, so an extension for Parham would secure another spot.
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