Josh McDaniels says ‘best is in front of’ newest Raider Justin Herron

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 | 12:30 p.m.

Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler orchestrated his first in-season trade Wednesday morning, and it was with a familiar partner.

Las Vegas acquired third-year offensive tackle Justin Herron from the New England Patriots, the long-time employer of Ziegler and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. The Raiders also received a seventh-round selection in the swap.

“Dave talks to a number of people obviously and it was just presented to us in the last 24 hours or so,” McDaniels said in his weekly Wednesday morning news conference. “He’s a guy we have some familiarity with. He’s played tackle in plenty of games and has some versatility, young player that’s continuing to develop. It’s a position that’s important to every team in the National Football League and if you feel like you can upgrade your depth at that position, it’s one of those where you’ve got to think about it.”

It's the second deal Ziegler has swung with New England in his short time in Las Vegas, as current backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham was also brought in through an offseason trade with the Patriots.

Herron could fill a need, as the Raiders remain unsettled on the offensive line — especially at right tackle. Las Vegas has rotated fellow former Patriot Jermaine Eluemunor and rookie Thayer Munford at the spot through two games. They’ve both looked serviceable at times but rank well below average by Pro Football Focus’ grading metrics.

Herron was left without consistent playing time this season despite having started a total of 10 games the last two years. The Patriots had far more depth at tackle than the Raiders, making a natural trading partner. The two sides were even briefly linked late in training camp when New England was reportedly shopping starting right tackle Isaiah Wynn.

McDaniels didn’t share any expectations for Herron’s initial role with the Raiders when asked.

“We’ll let him come in here and compete, acclimate to what we’re doing and see where it goes,” he said.

The 26-year-old Herron is a former sixth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest. He played both right tackle and left tackle during his time with the Patriots.

That means, even if he doesn’t claim snaps at right tackle, Herron could emerge as the backup to Las Vegas’ best offensive lineman, team captain left tackle Kolton Miller.

“Swing tackles don’t grow on trees, so the fact that he’s played the left, he’s played the right, the fact that he’s played in some big games, I don’t think that hurts us in this case,” McDaniels said. “We’re excited to add him on. He’s a good person, works hard, young player and I think his best is in front of him.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or