Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
One position the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t do much to try and upgrade this offseason is right tackle. They lost Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency to the New York Giants and it appears that Thayer Munford has the best chance of earning the starting spot.
He was Pro Football Focus‘ 25th-highest graded offensive tackle last season so he’s shown promising signs. However, he wasn’t able to keep the starting job last season and the Raiders may not be completely confident that he’ll be an effective starter. If that’s the case, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin could be a trade fit.
“The Raiders could have interest in Conklin, depending on how they view 2022 seventh-round pick Thayer Munford Jr. internally,” Knox wrote in a July 18 column. “Munford allowed four sacks across 521 snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Conklin has allowed four sacks since the start of the 2021 season, per PFF.”
Knox has Conlkin’s value at a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. That would be a small price to pay for an offensive tackle who has been named First-Team All-Pro twice and is still just 29. One issue is that he’s still on the four-year, $60 million contract the Browns signed him to in 2022. That would be a lot of money to take on.
Another concern is that Conklin suffered a torn ACL and MCL last season. He suffered the injury in Week 1 so he’s had a lot of time to recover but it’s fair to question if he’ll be the same player when he gets back.
Jack Conklin Trade Could Make Sense
It’s entirely possible that Munford develops into a very good right tackle for the Raiders but he hasn’t shown enough for the team to expect that. Neither Gardner Minshew nor Aidan O’Connell are particularly elusive quarterbacks so it’ll be important for the team to have strong pass protection.
Conklin is a former top-10 pick who has been one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for years. The Raiders have had a very difficult time finding a right tackle so instead of taking a chance on a young player again, the team could add somebody proven like Conklin.
While his contract is a bit concerning, it’s a steal if he returns to All-Pro form. Right tackles are starting to make $20+ million and Conklin is only making $15 million a year on his current contract that goes through 2026.
Las Vegas Raiders Still Have Salary Cap Space
The Raiders have put themselves in a good position to make a move before the season if they’d like to. The team still has $34 million in salary cap space, according to Spotrac. It appears they’d like to keep some flexibility for in-season moves but they still have a lot of money to play with.
Perhaps general manager Tom Telesco is waiting until training camp to get a further evaluation of the roster. This is his first year in the role so he’s likely still learning players. Munford is going to be a player to watch closely. If a potential upgrade like Conklin is available, it’s something Telesco would have to consider, especially with the money that he has to play with.
He clearly values the offensive line as he used first-round picks on offensive linemen in two of his last three drafts with the Los Angeles Chargers.