After spending his first two seasons in the NFL as the starter at left guard, the Las Vegas Raiders' 2022 third-round pick, Dylan Parham, is making the switch to right guard in 2024.
Parham, who saw reps there at practice on Tuesday, has played just 110 snaps at right guard since entering the league. However, the Memphis product did see time at right guard in college, so playing there is not foreign to him by any stretch.
Before the second mandatory minicamp practice on Wednesday, offensive line coach James Cregg revealed what was behind the decision to move the third-year offensive lineman, and it has to do with the offense Las Vegas is going to run and Parham's footwork, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
Raiders OL coach James Cregg said they moved guard Dylan Parham to the right side because "we're going to run more wide zone and he is more natural on that side ... his footwork is better."
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) June 12, 2024
When asked about the process of Parham making the transition to the right side after spending the past two years on the left side, Cregg described the move as "natural" for the 24-year-old, per Levi Edwards of Raiders.com.
James Chegg, #Raiders offensive line coach, said it’s been an “natural” transition moving Dylan Parham over to right guard.
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) June 12, 2024
Parham surrendered one sack and 26 pressures in 633 pass-block snaps last season but posted lackluster PFF grades in run-blocking (57.6) and pass protection (61.8). We'll see if his move to right guard can boost either of those numbers.
Now, the Raiders have to figure out who will man left guard.
It is assumed that rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson will start there in his first year, but he has missed significant practice time this offseason. Adding to that, he'll have two veterans competing against him in Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat. The good news is, the Raiders should be just fine with whoever wins the role.
