Luring Kelechi Osemele away from the Baltimore Ravens last offseason with a 5 yr/ $58 million contract was a bold move by Reggie McKenzie. That audacious decision appears to be paying off in droves.
Osemele was recently ranked the 9th most indispensable player to his team’s offense by NFL.com’s Adam Schein.
The first-team All-Pro guard is a stud. And when a kidney stone forced him to miss last December's game against the Chiefs, everything changed for the Raiders, with Oakland losing, 21-13. I picked Oakland to win that game. If I had known KO had been KO'd, I would've changed the pick. It's that simple.
Osemele protects Derek Carr -- and with Carr coming off injury, that's a huge deal. Now he will blow open holes for Marshawn Lynch. Buckle up!
Though quarterback is still the most important position in the NFL, it’s hard to disagree with Schein’s sentiment in this case.
The All-Pro left guard was ranked as the fifth best guard in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus and he was listed as the 37th best player in the league overall on their annual “PFF 50” list.
Osemele was an integral part of keeping Derek Carr upright last season, allowing just 11 quarterback hurries and a flawless zero sacks.
At just 27-years-old, the Raiders will be hoping that he can replicate his All-Pro performance for years to come.
The other spots on Schein’s list were occupied by flashy offensive playmakers. Julio Jones grabbed the top spot followed by Ezekiel Elliott and Odell Beckham Jr. Osemele was the only offensive lineman to make the cut.
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