Alex Leatherwood has barely been seen on a game field since his one-season Raiders partnership ended. The former first-round pick, however, did spend last season on the Browns’ practice squad.
Cleveland did not retain Leatherwood, but the former Alabama offensive lineman will receive another opportunity. The Chargers are bringing him in, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Leatherwood last saw action as a Bears backup during the 2022 season.
It is difficult for a team to fare worse in a stretch with six first-round picks than the Raiders did during the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock drafts. Of the players chosen from 2019-21, only one (Josh Jacobs) has been a regular starter. Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette are out of the league, while Johnathan Abram has bounced around as a backup. Clelin Ferrell stabilized his career, to a degree, as a 49ers starter on a low-cost deal in 2023. The Saints and Commanders, respectively, signed Abram and Ferrell to one-year deals this offseason. Leatherwood became the quickest of those Raider first-rounders to wash out with his original NFL team.
Criticized for what was widely labeled a reach pick by selecting Leatherwood 17th overall in 2021, the Raiders used their first-rounder as a starting guard during their playoff campaign. The team moved the tackle prospect inside quickly, but Pro Football Focus viewed the rookie as the league’s worst O-line regular that season. The Josh McDaniels-led coaching staff kicked Leatherwood back outside during the 2022 offseason and then attempted to trade him. No trade partner emerged, and the Raiders waived Leatherwood. The Bears took on the former Crimson Tide starter’s contract, but a mononucleosis bout stalled his rebound opportunity. Leatherwood played 32 offensive snaps for the Bears in 2022 and did not make Chicago’s 53-man roster last year.
It will be interesting to see if a year learning under acclaimed O-line coach Bill Callahan in Cleveland will benefit Leatherwood, who is going into his age-25 season. The Chargers hired ex-Ravens assistant Mike Devlin as their O-line coach. He will be tasked with continuing Leatherwood’s development.
The Bolts are set at tackle, having drafted Joe Alt to go with Rashawn Slater, and they are planning to see how displaced RT Trey Pipkins looks at guard. The team rosters Zion Johnson as its other guard starter. Jamaree Salyer, who worked as a starting guard last year after filling in for Slater as a rookie, remains on the now-Jim Harbaugh-led roster as well. At this stage, Leatherwood profiles as a backup candidate. He joins Foster Sarell, 2021 fifth-rounder Brenden Jaimes, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan McFadden and a host of rookie UDFAs as Bolts backup options up front.
Not again. This dude obviously cannot play at this level. When you’re a first round draft pick but you’re only good at standing around picking your nose you should figure it out and retire. He seems to have the football player look down pat, he’s got the sweating part mastered, even has a football player name. But when it comes to actually playing or learning techniques it’s like teaching calculus to a turnip. Maybe the Chargers need a blocking sled or maybe someone to practice against so the REAL players will feel good about how well they are playing. If Jim Harbaugh can get him to do anything more than show up for meals and stand around picking his shorts out of his butt crack he’s a football genius.
Dean Spanos: “The Raiders humiliated us 63-21 last season so it’s time we started signing their first round rejects”.
I still remember Gruden standing in the draft room high-fiying everyone, like he couldn’t believe this guy was still available at #17. I was actually embarrassed watching the display on TV.
So just to refresh some memories, Alex Underwood was a top three OT prospect heading into the draft. He had an excellent combine and:
+2020 Joe Moore Award winner, given to the nation’s best offensive line unit
+Finished career with 48 appearances and 41 consecutive starts (26 at LT, 15 at RG)
+2020 first-team All-SEC by the AP and coaches
+2020 first-team All-American by AP, ESPN, FWAA, USA Today, Sporting News and CBS Sports
+2020 Outland Trophy winner
I guess everyone saw this lack of expected success well before the draft and this should serve as a warning to anyone who is looking to hire a coach from Jon Grudens tutelage.
No one could have predicted Leatherwood would be THIS much of a disaster, but he was absolutely a big consensus reach. He was 45 on Arif Hasan’s consensus big board that year and he was not close to the number 3 OT. Sewell, Slater, and Darrisaw were the top three, all falling in the top 14. AVT, Teven Jenkins, Sam Cosmi, and Liam Eichenberg were also rated ahead of him. Eichenberg is terrible and the others all ended up at guard, but they’re much, much better NFL players.
His past track record is abysmal and that’s being polite but if anyone can get him to play at a passable NFL level it’s Harbaugh given his ability to motivate players. This could be a great under the radar type of signing because he can only go up because if he doesn’t he will be gone.
@3 finger spilt agreed it doesn’t hurt to have competition for the last spot. I just feel like we need someone that can play center that pushes Bozeman or atleast can play guard or center instead of another guard/tackle. Still have a feeling if someone cuts a center they will be going after them.