Rookie offensive linemen speak candidly on adjustment to NFL

Two weeks into training camp, and the Las Vegas Raiders appear to be getting their offensive line sorted out.

Locking up left tackle Kolton Miller assures that the Raiders have the blindside figured out for the next few seasons. From there, however, competitions are making themselves known throughout the group. The main focus has been on the developing battle at center between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jordan Meredith, but it is hard to imagine anyone outside of Miller is secure in their current spot.

Included in the mix are two rookies developing in preparation for claiming a starting spot in short order.

The Raiders have high hopes for this pair of rookies.

In the third round of April’s draft, the Raiders secured Texas Tech offensive guard Caleb Rogers and William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant, and both have been hard at work during their first camp adjusting to life at the professional level.

“I’d say definitely the intensity,” Grant said to the media about the major difference between college and the pros. “The intensity is something but from rookie minicamp, after that first feeling, I kind of knew what I had to bring to the table. I think I’ve been living up to it.”

Grant did not have the easiest go at camp, starting out with the seemingly impossible task of stopping Maxx Crosby. It was a leap for the rookie tackle, going from holding off FCS pass rushers to doing the same against one of the best in the world. It is all for developing confidence, however, and Grant has earned the respect of both his teammates and coaches for his efforts so far.

The leap for Rogers, on the other hand, does not come in the form of the uptick in competition, but rather in showcasing his versatility.

“I’m all ears every single day,” Rogers said. “First day of training camp, I was at right guard. Next day, we’re walking out, ‘By the way, you’re at left [guard].’ Whenever I got to center, heads-up probably 10 minutes before. That’s just the expectation they have for me, to be able to rotate and play anything. That was the expectation I told them to have for me. Whenever they need me to play, whatever they need me to play, I’ll be ready for it.”

It is somewhat of a shift for Rogers, who primarily played at both tackle spots for the Red Raiders.

However, in the age of the super-sub offensive lineman, versatility is a must for a rookie wanting to make a good impression on a NFL team. Rogers proved that he is willing to make the shift to guard, and has even played at center during the pre-draft process and at training camp. It is important that he takes the process in stride, as succeeding at either interior position could be his gateway to playing time early in his career.

Both Grant and Rogers are seeing what it will take to survive at the NFL level, but they are confident that they can rise to the occasion.