Steelers: 4 Raiders players fans should watch out for in Week 2

Steelers must challenge OT Kolton Miller

Kolton Miller was a raw but hyper-athletic tackle prospect out of UCLA when the Raiders took him in the 2018 draft. An absolutely monstrous player standing 6-foot-8 and over 300 pounds, he was generally considered a project, but one worth taking on day two of the draft.

The Raiders instead decided to draft him 15th overall, considered a big reach at the time.

After an awful rookie season that saw him grade as one of the worst tackles in the league, Miller showed much more promise in his sophomore season. He followed that up with an even better 2020 season, leading to a three-year, $54 million extension that locks him in as their franchise left tackle.

Miller was the only Raiders lineman to have a solid day against Baltimore, but he will have his work cut out for him against Pittsburgh. He will likely see a lot of Alex Highsmith and Melvin Ingram, with T.J. Watt likely trying to exploit rookie tackle Alex Leatherwood.

If Miller can win his battles, it could force the Steelers defense to blitz much more than Week 1. That in turn would open up more room for Darren Waller and others to work the middle of the field for easy completions.

Pittsburgh can’t afford that, so it will be important for the front four to dominate across the board. I know I will be watching to see who they decide to put across from him and how much pressure they can get.