Raiders’ Ian Silberman getting his shot as first-team right tackle

NAPA — Ian Silberman hasn’t played offensive tackle since college. He’s entering his fourth year in the NFL.

The journeyman offensive lineman, drafted in the sixth round in 2015, has already played for the 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Colts, Browns and now the Raiders again. This time around in Oakland, though, he might not be a flash in the pan. Silberman has switched between guard and center for the first three years of his career, but he’s been shouldering the majority of first-team reps at right tackle with veteran Breno Giacomini and rookie Brandon Parker missing the last couple practices.

Silberman contented for a starting spot as a 49ers rookie in 2015, he said, but this year’s reps are the most important he’s ever handled.

“This probably is my biggest challenge because I only had one, one and a half years of tackle experience in college,” Silberman told the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “So coming back up to tackle after four years of playing guard and center, that’s the biggest challenge in itself, working out there in space against better athletes.” Get Raiders news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Raiders HQ newsletter.

Right tackle might be the biggest area of concern (or uncertainty) on the entire team. The Raiders feature arguably the best interior offensive line in the NFL with Kelechi Osemele, Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson, and rookie Kolton Miller has impressed coaches early on Derek Carr’s blind side while Donald Penn remains on the physically unable to perform list. Oakland cut Marshall Newhouse after he struggled at right tackle last season, and now the position is up in the air during training camp.

With two contenders currently sidelined, though, Silberman is getting an extended shot to lay claim on the starting job.

“Now I’m going against a better quality of player,” Silberman said of playing with the first unit. “Communicating with the starters and the vets, and it’s all a learning experience, being able to work with them. It’s also an opportunity for me step up and prove that I know what I’m doing, prove that I can show the proper technique and do everything that we need out of a starting right tackle.”

Even if Silberman loses the starting right tackle job to Giacomini, Parker or even David Sharpe, his experience across the offensive line bodes well for his chances to make the 53-man roster as a sixth or seventh offensive lineman. Vadal Alexander served that role the past two years, but the Raiders waived him after he never reported to camp. “The next Vadal Alexander” might not sound like an ideal tag, but Silberman just wants to stick somewhere after playing in only one regular season game so far in his career.

“Versatility is a key at that position,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said of the right tackle spot. “When you’re an offensive lineman, you can only have so many guys active on game day. You need your sixth and seventh offensive linemen to be able to play multiple positions. Ian is one of those guys that’s a candidate to play guard or tackle.”

Silberman has benefited from facing Raiders defensive ends Tank Carradine (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) and Frostee Rucker (6-foot-3, 261) in practice. Blocking the bulky vets has taught Silberman to sit down, anchor himself and properly position his hands. Facing young defensive ends Arden Key and Fadol Brown has challenged Silberman in a different way because they mix more speed with power, and especially Key presents a wiry figure with a variety of moves. Like our Oakland Raiders Facebook page for more Raiders news, commentary and conversation.

Silberman has adjusted to blocking smaller rushers with more athleticism and a plethora of moves on the outside as opposed to brute-strength rushers on the interior. “You’re working in a phone booth where you got to man up instantly, as soon as the ball snaps,” he said of playing guard or center. Now Silberman needs to be more fleet of foot, and face approaches he hasn’t seen since his days at Boston College.

Add in Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s joint practices against the Lions to the first portion of training camp, and Silberman has received a nice little crash course in defending some decent pass-rushers here in Napa. Granted, they’re nothing like Joey Bosa or Melvin Ingram or Von Miller, but Silberman is gradually becoming more comfortable in the biggest role he’s ever taken on.

He knows nobody is worrying about the Raiders’ interior offensive line, and now it’s up to him to ensure they don’t worry about right tackle either.

“I’m playing next to those three interior guys … the standard goes up already,” Silberman said. “I just want to show the coaches that they don’t have to worry about anything on the right side.”

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