This post is part two of a series counting down the 10 most important Las Vegas Raiders players under contract for next season (not including Derek Carr). Guys set to be free agents (Josh Jacobs, Jarrett Stidham, etc.) aren’t included here. For part one of this series, CLICK HERE.
No. 9: Dylan Parham
There’s a case to be made that Parham belongs higher on this list given the importance of the 2022 third-round pick’s development for one’s confidence in next season’s offensive line — but with so much uncertainty, I’ve got him slotted ninth.
2022 Stats: 17 games, 6 sacks allowed, 5 penalties
2023 Outlook
The first pick of Dave Ziegler’s tenure as the Raiders General Manager was Parham — a versatile offensive lineman out of Memphis, and while it wasn’t a sexy pick it felt important. Heading into last season, the Raiders had question marks at just about every position on the offensive line except left tackle — meaning Parham had every opportunity to earn himself a starting role, which he did once former first-round pick Alex Leatherwood was released.
While his long-term future is probably at center, Parham started all 17 games at guard and played okay, earning a PFF grade of 61.9. That grade was probably a middle point between what his run-blocking grade would have been (good!) and his pass-blocking grade (not good!).
The real question here is what position he plays next season. I mentioned that long term he’s probably a center, but moving him there would require moving on from Andre James (whose $5.5 million salary can be removed with just a $1.9 dead cap hit — a number that drops to $480k after June 1). If Parham moves to center, there’s optimism that his pass blocking will improve — his size will be less of an issue there — and the Raiders could then upgrade both guard spots and shore up the interior. That switch at center would also help free up needed cap space considering Parham’s rookie deal is paying him just $1.2 million next season.
As you work through those numbers, you can see why there’s some pressure on Parham to pan out — not just because of the draft capital invested, but because the Raiders simply need some of the guys already in-house to be good enough to justify keeping around. If Parham can lock down the center position, it gives the Raiders a second building block on the offensive line alongside Kolton Miller. Add two guards and a right tackle through the draft and free agency, and all of a sudden the Raiders might be rolling…
