ALAMEDA -- Brandon Parker played his best game two weeks ago in Arizona. The third-round right tackle showed trademark athleticism and consistency protecting Derek Carr, and opened up solid rushing lanes off his end.
That solid streak continued into last week's game at Baltimore, until a fourth-quarter slump that ruined his bottom line. He gave up three straight sacks in a row right after Carr rolled his ankle.
He didn't finish his block on the first sack. Frustration from that mistake remained on the next two snaps, and impacted his pass set.
[BAIR: Rookie spotlight: CB Nick Nelson]
That's not the first time Parker's hit a rut. Allowing one play to impact another has been an issue he's trying to rectify.
"That's always been one of my personal issues," Parker said. "Because I'm so hard on myself and so critical, if I mess up one time I blow it up more than it needs to be. Sometimes you need to just acknowledge that you messed up and then move. When you get emotional about it, you can get in that slump."
There's confidence Parker will remedy the issue and become a steady pro.
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"It's common amongst players who are rookies or second-year players getting their first starts," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "A lot of it comes down to confidence. It's all about experience, which is the only way you learn. With Parker, we believe he has the right mindset to come back. He will come back strong, and this will be a great experience in terms of him moving forward as the right tackle."
Let's put Brandon Parker under our weekly rookie spotlight, and highlight his progress and where he still needs to develop:
Brandon Parker
Position: Offensive tackle
Draft slot: No. 65 overall (third round)
School: North Carolina A&T
Height/weight: 6-foot-8; 314 pounds
Stats: 8 games played (7 starts); Pressure allowed: 7 sacks, 3 QB hits and 29 hurries in 293 pass blocking snaps
Raw tools: Parker has great athleticism and a massive frame that can easily accommodate increased size and strength. He's agile kicking outside, with great length to slow rushers down. He is solid moving in space and can make plays down the field.
Early returns: Expectations are high for a third-round pick, but the Raiders hope to develop him from the bench behind converted right tackle Donald Penn. That luxury wasn't afforded after Penn ended up on injured reserve early in the year, sending Parker into fray a bit before his time. He has given up far too many sacks for an NFL tackle, but he continues to learn on the job and improve as the season goes on. He's clearly lacking strength to consistently parry edge rushers, and is working through a mental block where one bad play can lead to more trouble.
Where Parker has improved: He has become more technically sound and consistent has experienced has been gained. Parker's confidence has improved, especially over the past few weeks.
"Definitely my patience, and my pass sets have gotten better outside that one stretch," Parker said. "Even in that last game before the sacks I was on a hot streak. I was putting together good tape. You have to have it slip up at the end, but I believe I'm gradually improving each week."
What's next: Experience throughout the season will help, but this offseason should provide the biggest benefit. Players develop quickly in their first professional offseason, unburdened by the pre-draft process. Parker will work hard to gain lean mass and functional strength that will help against physical imposing opposition.
The Raiders could bring in veteran competition at right tackle, but coaches are confident he can develop into a long-term answer at right tackle, opposite first-round left tackle Brandon Parker.
Quotable: "My dad (Curtis, a former offensive lineman at North Carolina) told me that the good thing about playing so much my first year is that I'm taking my lumps early. You can learn and grow from that. You're going to lose a fair share of battles getting adjusted, but I know I'm going to be fine." – Brandon Parker
