Longest-tenured Raider Kolton Miller is heart of O-line

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Kolton Miller, the longest-tenured player on the Las Vegas Raiders, has seen a lot since the team used the No. 15 overall draft pick on him in 2018.

For one, the franchise was in Oakland.

For another, the Raiders' foundational left tackle has played for four head coaches (Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce) and under five different general managers (Reggie McKenzie, Mike Mayock, Dave Ziegler, Champ Kelly and Tom Telesco).

In six NFL seasons, Miller has also protected the blind sides of 10 starting quarterbacks: Derek Carr, A.J. McCarron, Mike Glennon, Marcus Mariota, Nathan Peterman, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O'Connell, Brian Hoyer and -- come the season opener at the Los Angeles Chargers -- Gardner Minshew.

Whew...

What Miller has not had to deal with, though, is his own mortality, so to speak, in not missing significant time because of injury.

Until recently.

Indeed, with injuries limiting Miller to a career-low 13 games last season and offseason shoulder surgery forcing him onto the physically unable to perform list to begin training camp, there were major exhales at the Raiders' facility when Miller passed his physical and suited up for practice for the first time on Aug. 20.

"When you've got a left tackle with a presence and the ability like Kolton Miller," Pierce mused, "I ain't gonna lie -- I felt at ease [watching] big 7-4 go out there." (Miller wears No. 74.)

"We're talking about one of the better left tackles in football," Pierce added. "And one of our better offensive players on our team."

Though the 6-foot-8, 325-pound Miller has yet to make a Pro Bowl, that does not diminish his importance to a team not only starting a new QB in a new scheme, but one also unveiling a reimagined offensive line with Miller as the centerpiece -- on the left side.

"It will be great to get Kolton back up to speed," Minshew said. "When he is in there, he is one of the best, and I think we all have a ton of confidence in him and he's really going to help our offense go."

Next to Miller, at left guard, is veteran Cody Whitehair, who spent the previous eight seasons with the Chicago Bears. Second-round draft pick Jackson Powers-Johnson, who also started camp on the PUP list, could also step in at some point.

At center, the Raiders return Andre James, a former tackle and college teammate of Miller's at UCLA who is entering his fourth season as a starter in Las Vegas.

Dylan Parham is moving to right guard after two seasons at left, and Thayer Munford Jr. is set to be a full-time starter at right tackle for the first time.

"I'm working primarily along with Cody right now," Miller said. "He's great, knows the system and he runs off the ball. He's a great guy to work with and, just getting the reps with him, that's going to be really beneficial."

Especially in a new system designed by new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

"It's great," Miller said. "We're running, the combinations are really strong. Protection-wise, it's not too crazy, so it's not too different to pick up. It's adjustable. I'm really liking it."

Miller already has more than a solid base from which to work, especially when it comes to a relative lack of sacks surrendered.

Consider: Miller's five sacks allowed last year were tied for fourth fewest among 27 qualified left tackles (minimum 600 snaps at left tackle) in the NFL.

And per Next Gen Stats, Miller's pass block win rate of 89.4% in 393 pass-blocking reps last season ranked 12th among 27 left tackles, even as his 675 snaps at left tackle were a career low (his PBWR was the third highest of his career, dipping from a career-best 93.0% in 2022).

But his run block win rate of 71.8% in 280 run-block snaps was 20th among those 27 left tackles (the RBWR was the second best of his career, but it dropped precipitously from 81.7% in 2022).

"There's not a lot of people like him in the NFL, and the world in general," James said. "Having a person who's that big and can move and bend the way he does, he's a special person. And watching him go against Maxx [Crosby] and some of these players today, it's like, 'Wow, he hasn't missed a beat, and he's been gone for so long.'

"It's pretty cool."

How cool? Well, the Raiders have had nine first-round draft picks since Miller was selected in 2018 and only two others -- the most recent in defensive end Tyree Wilson (2023) and tight end Brock Bowers (2024) -- remain on the roster.

For Miller, who missed so much on-field work in the offseason, it's like riding a bike.

"It's new stuff coming in, coming in a little bit late, but it's Year 7," he said after a recent practice.

"I was taking sets out there and I was like, 'Oh, just like before.'"

Miller laughed.

"No, it feels good," he said. "I've just got to get the work in together with the boys and it will be good."