Small-school product can make big impact in pros, especially at left tackle in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek is no stranger to small school prospects who can make a big impact at the next level.
After all, the Silver & Black’s chief personnel man brought in Alex Cappa, who is a product of Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) in Arcata, Calif. That’s about as small school as you can get as Cappa went from Lumberjack to Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter after Spytek was part of the player personnel group that helped bring Cappa into the organization.
The Raiders GM can continue his interest in less heralded prospects later this month in the 2025 NFL Draft. And he’ll be the chief decision maker alongside head coach Pete Carroll.
Las Vegas can use help up front on its offensive line and there’s prospect from the College of William & Mary that can not only provide valuable depth at left tackle. But also has the potential to be a long-term starter on the blindside, too.
Enter: Charles Grant.
By The Numbers
Charles Grant, Left Tackle, William & Mary
- 2024: 12 games, 767 snaps, 2 sacks allowed, 1 quarterback hit allowed, 6 pressures allowed
- Career: 36 games, 2,292 snaps, 3 sacks allowed, 3 quarterback hits allowed, 22 pressured allowed
Charles Grant is an absolute dawg with some NASTY tape.
Raw technique and new to the game, but his William & Mary film displays the athletic tools, size, and 7-foot wingspan to develop and stick at tackle for a long time. pic.twitter.com/g2dEdpBUVN
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 4, 2025
How He Fits
The Tribe’s stalwart of a left tackle, Grant anchored William & Mary’s offensive line that paved the way for a very productive run game (nearly 233 yards per game; fourth highest in the nation).
Grant’s length, technique, and quickness make him a headache for pass rushers to contend with. Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds at the NFL Combine, Grant’s 34 3⁄4 inch arms and his wingspan of 84 inches is seven feet, which allows him to engulf defenders looking to get to the quarterback.
Las Vegas’ depth at offensive tackle is far from ideal. Those on the roster as of now: Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze as the starters on the left and right sides, then Thayer Munford Jr., Dalton Wagner, and Gottlieb Ayedze.
A prospect of Grant’s caliber can come in, compete for snaps but eventually be developed into a long-term solution on the blindside. Grant is 23 while Miller, the Raiders stalwart left tackle, is 29 years old.
Strengths
With his massive wingspan and his background as a wrestler, Grant has a bag of tricks waiting for pass rushers. A solid technician, this left tackle looks to truly confuse incoming rushers to truly disrupt rhythm with feints that would make even the best boxers blush.
His footwork is in-line with his arms and Grant’s ability to quickly move laterally affords him the ability to mirror defenders.
William & Mary OL Charles Grant is a player that I think will go much sooner than expected. He’s 6′ 4″ and 311 lbs with 34 3/4″ arms and is an experienced tackle with 41 career starts.
+ Quick mover with a big frame
+ Plays with violent & active hands
+ Moves laterally with… pic.twitter.com/RXkqwisWHQ— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) April 6, 2025
He knows how to use his length and his long arms allows Grant to keep defenders at bay and his hand strength and background as a grappler allow him to latch, maintain anchor, and drive defenders in the direction he wants.
A fit for the zone blocking scheme, Grant plays with urgency and high football IQ to redirect, drive, and finish incoming rushers. Being fundamentally sound and quick gives Grant the violence required for a mean streak.
Weaknesses
The one that looms largest is frame. The 311 pounds he tipped the scales at the combine is the heaviest Grant has been. He normally hovers at 300 pounds which means he’ll need to hit a pro team’s weight program and pack on some muscle.
This harkens on a main critique for one of the current Raiders offensive linemen: Guard Dylan Parham. Very light in the britches at 285 pounds, Parham too weighted in at 311 pounds at the combine back in 2022, but has been one of the lighter linemen in Silver & Black.
Fortunately for Grant, he has the functional strength advantage and longer arms.
But it’s that lack of mass that’ll be a main concern for Grant as NFL bull rushers are likely to knock him off anchor.
Another area of opportunity for Grant is the jump in competition. He did well to dominate FCS defenders during his collegiate days, but how he handles superior NFL talent remains to be seen.
Finally, Grant’s collegiate career has solely been on the blindside. He didn’t take any snaps anywhere else along the offensive line but left tackle. This may create versatility limitations until he’s accustomed to NFL coaching.
William & Mary OT Charles Grant: Strong enough to cross a defender’s face and give him the old cockroach, or block him right off the screen. Agile enough to hit his targets at the second level, and own the zone slide. Some technique fixes needed, but you see the NFL potential. pic.twitter.com/YyAYuXHE67
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 30, 2025
Projection
Grant is projected to be a third-round pick in the draft and the predictions on where the tackle lands ranges from Day 2 to Day 3. Seen as a prospect that can go as high as the third and as low as the sixth round, a savvy football team that’ll have patience and opportunity to for him to develop into a starter is likely getting a solid prospect.
The Raiders own the 68th overall pick in the the third round. They also have the 108th selection in the fourth and 143rd pick in the fifth stanzas.
Considering Grant plays a position where Las Vegas depth is dubious, and the fact the William & Mary product will likely need time to acclimate to the NFL game, learning behind Miller isn’t a bad proposition for a mid-round talent.
