Raiders News: Menelik Watson Named Opening Day Starter At LT

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
3 Min Read

Menelik WatsonWhen stalwart left tackle Jared Veldheer went down with a torn triceps, a season that was already expected to be a rebuilding one for the Oakland Raiders, got even tougher. Veldheer is arguably the best player on the Raiders roster and his injury was one of the most impactful in the entire NFL.

But injuries lead to opportunities for others, and guys like Colin Kaepernick and Tom Brady have taken those opportunities and ran with them. Raiders rookie Menelik Watson could be the latest to join that list.

Watson got his very first start for the Raiders this past Thursday in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL against the Seattle Seahawks and was thoroughly impressive. So impressive in fact, that head coach Bruce Allen announced in a conference call that Watson will start at left tackle when the Raiders travel to Indianapolis for their regular season opener against the Colts.

“I would anticipate that Menelik Watson will be our starting left tackle for the opening game.”

Watson, the Raiders second round pick from Florida State, did not allow a single sack against the Seahawks. Even more impressive when you consider the fact that he has never played the left tackle position in his career. Allen heaped much praise on Watson to the media:

“I wanted to see if he would play physical and finish. I thought he did that. Obviously there’s still a lot of growth potential there but I think for a first time out, for a guy that hasn’t play in that position in that environment, I thought he handled himself extremely well.”

Who Watson will be protecting is still unknown at this point. While it seemed Matt Flynn was a shoe-in, Terrelle Pryor’s great preseason has made this a difficult decision. With the team looking for ‘playmakers,’ it could end up being Pryor. One thing is for sure, whoever ends up under the center in Indianapolis will have a budding star protecting his blindside.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.