MIAMI – Kolton Miller has played every Raiders offensive snap through two games, compiling stats suggesting the rookie left tackle's is off to a solid start.
This year's No. 15 overall pick has allowed just three quarterback hurries – he's one of seven left tackles to allow no sacks, no QB hits this season -- in 83 pass blocking snaps against the Rams and Broncos. The Raiders have not run great off the left tackle, averaging 13 yards in the too-small-a-sample-size four attempts. Running backs are averaging 4.0 yards on carries between Miller and mauler left guard Kelechi Osemele.
Numbers will tell part of this story. Tom Cable sees the whole matrix.
The Raiders offensive line coach believes Miller can be an excellent left tackle , but understands fully his star pupil has a long, long way to go.
"If you're looking at the whole spectrum of it, I would say he's doing C-plus work right now and continuing to climb," Cable told NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday. "That's where you want him. You don't want him failing, and at the same time I don't think there will be rookies out there doing better than him. That's a good thing, but he has a long way to go to become a complete player.
"That's just part of being young, more than anything. He is on course. He's invested in this process. I like his preparation and how he gets ready for each test. He presses into it, which is really important."
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Cable has pressed new mechanics upon the 6-foot-8, 309-pound UCLA product, helping a supreme athlete become a technician in time. He has Miller going more vertical in his pass-blocking sets, to help him control matchups with defensive linemen and use his size appropriately. There's a major emphasis in cleaning up his run blocking.
And, in an effort that will take some time, Cable believes Miller can gain functional strength and lean bulk to his frame working with the Raiders strength staff.
"[Cable] has worked to adjust things here and there to help refine my technique and make me a better player," Miller said. "It has been great working with him."
Miller has the size and athleticism and savvy to be a productive player. Cable believes two other attributes are vital to his professional success: coach-ability and commitment.
"He's the strong, silent type in terms of personality and is hungry to be the best version of himself," Cable said. "He's in search of that. He checks all the boxes for us. He wants to learn and fix mistakes, and the cool thing is that he'll then come out on the field and work hard at it."
Cable and the Raiders took a deep dive into Miller's background, and felt confident in making him a first-round pick.
"If you're going to take a guy early in the draft like that, you need to understand his level of humility," Cable said. ‘There are times when guys get picked early and get paid a little bit, they think they're made it. You want to find out of he can stay even-keeled, not put too much into the whistles and bell and put everything into being worthy of that pick. That's important to me. That's always important because, once the ‘disease of me' hits people, they're screwed up. Then they become less of a teammate.
"We learned that about him, that he's humble and coachable, and cares about his craft. That's a major plus that allows him to grow and develop.
The biggest fear starting a rookie at left tackle, especially after two-time Pro Bowler Donald Penn moved to the right to make room for Miller, is the big mistake that gets Derek Carr in trouble. We haven't seen anything like that off Miller's edge.
Miller has fared well against the vaunted Rams and Broncos defensive fronts, and gained confidence from those efforts. He believes he can compete with anyone already, knowing full well there's room for improvement. He's honed on technique, not emotion or trash talk or who he's lined up against. Miller is as even-keeled as they come.
"The goal is to be consistently good from week to week," Miller said. "That's how players become good and establish themselves in this league."
Cable believes maintaining this current course could lead to good things.
"Potential is a dangerous word. That said, he's potentially one of the really special young players in the game," Cable said. "It will be up to all of us to keep him on the track of growth and development. If he ever makes it about money and outside stuff, it'll detract him. Knowing him, I think he wants to find out how good he can be. As long as he keeps that mindset, he can be something great."
