One of the biggest question marks the Las Vegas Raiders have ahead of the 2024 NFL season is at right tackle, where the team appears set to start 2022 seventh-round pick, Thayer Munford Jr.
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic after the first open practice of organized team activities last month, "Munford is entrenched as the starting right tackle" and "didn't leave the starting lineup during practice," which suggests the job is very much his to lose.
The Ohio State product is coming off a season in which he played 208 snaps at left tackle and 263 at right tackle. He was solid in run-blocking (80.4 PFF grade) but left a lot to be desired in pass protection after surrendering four sacks and 28 pressures in 303 pass-blocking snaps, leading to a 59.2 pass-blocking grade.
Because of that lackluster showing, fans weren't thrilled at the prospect of Munford possibly starting at right tackle in 2024 and it was assumed the Raiders would use a high pick or make a significant signing at the position in free agency.
But the Raiders did not sign a right tackle and didn't draft one until the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft when they took DJ Glaze, who doesn't figure to be ready to take on a starting role in his first season.
Las Vegas did sign veteran Andrus Peat, who has limited experience at right tackle, but the team has made it clear it views him as a guard and backup at left tackle, a position he played in 2023.
When it comes to his critics, Munford says he is unbothered by them. He is also keeping a mental note of the things he has read about himself.
"I read into (critics) a little bit, but also at the same time, they're not here," he said, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "But I don't really care what they say. I know what I can do, and the team knows what I can do. So they trust in me right now, and I'm not going to let anybody down."
"I just keep receipts," Munford added.
By all accounts, Munford has been making the most of his opportunity so far this offseason and has drawn at least one positive review.
"There are a lot of questions surrounding who will take over at right tackle, and Thayer Munford Jr. is making a strong case for himself," Levi Edwards of Raiders.com wrote after the second open practice of organized team activities. "He had an exceptional day of practice in team period and individual drills, and a potential leap in Year 3 could be on the horizon."
While that's all well and good, it's tough to judge just how far Munford has come until the pads come on in training camp and he's challenged by a pair of talented edge rushers in Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce on a daily basis.
Until we see that and how he performs in actual games, the doubts surrounding Munford's ability to be an effective starter will remain.
