The Las Vegas Raiders used two third-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their offensive line, selecting Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant with the 98th and 99th picks, respectively.
Rogers is expected to compete for one of the offensive guard spots, joining the likes of Alex Cappa, Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith in the battle. Grant, on the other hand, is the heir apparent to Kolton Miller at left tackle if the veteran blindside protector chooses to leave after the upcoming season. Regardless, the Raiders see starting potential with both players, and they could end up seeing significant snaps early on.
For Grant, however, the Raiders might be aiming to use his skillset earlier than expected.
The Raiders are hoping that their development plan of Grant pays off.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, the Raiders are planning to develop Grant as a swing tackle early on, allowing him an opportunity to earn a starting role sooner rather than later.
However, training Grant to play on the right side after he spent the entirety of his college career at left tackle for William & Mary is much easier said than done.
“The Raiders drafted him even though there isn’t a clear path to immediate playing time with Kolton Miller entrenched at left tackle,” wrote Reed on Grant.
“It’d be more feasible for Grant to compete with DJ Glaze at right tackle, but switching sides isn’t as easy and requires a significant amount of mental and physical adjustments.”
Versatility has become a coveted aspect of offensive linemen in the modern NFL. In order to achieve consistent playing time, players are asked to gain reps at multiple positions. Most offensive linemen coming into the NFL nowadays have experience all across the offensive line, usually handling at least two and as many as four positions.
With all of that said, there is reason to believe that Grant can pull off the transition to the right side.
“Something that’ll help Grant is that he’s a good fit for Kelly’s system, which utilizes a zone-based blocking scheme similar to the one he played in at William & Mary,” Reed continued. “That and his unique combination of traits will give him a shot to compete for a role early on.”
If his training at right tackle goes smoothly, Grant has a real chance to see the NFL field earlier than anticipated.
