BRANDON PARKER
Position: Offensive tackle
College: North Carolina A&T
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 305 pounds
Selection: Third round (No. 65 overall)
Scouting report: Parker stands as another small-school talent with athleticism and great upside who needs seasoning. He has the height and length required to play well at the NFL level, and could develop into a standout player. He’s a smooth blocker on the line or pulling in space. He can get out and run, which will help if the team runs more outside zone in the future as expected. Analysts say he has to work on his balance, technique and timing to play consistently well.
Projected role: There will be some turnover among Raiders offensive tackles. The new coaching staff, led by head coach Jon Gruden and line coach Tom Cable, clearly weren’t wowed by tackles already on the roster and prompted to add new guys. Parker could use a redshirt year if necessary, with Donald Penn on the left and either first-round pick Kolton Miller or veteran Breno Giacomini on the right. He could surge up the depth chart if he shows well, possibly making a veteran expendable.
Quotable: “To me, it was like the Super Bowl. Coming from a small school, they question your talent. They want to see if you can handle your own. I approached every rep like it was game day. I went out there, competed and gave it my all.”
-- Parker, on importance of Senior Bowl effort.
Quotable: “He’s another tackle and a great kid who really impressed us with his movement skills at the combine and again at the Senior Bowl. Brandon and (first-round pick Kolton Miller) have great mentors in Donald Penn and Breno Giacomini. There’s a great opportunity to succeed.”
-- Jon Gruden, on why he likes Brandon Parker