Las Vegas Raiders Preparing To Cut 2021 First-Round Pick

Every year when NFL rosters are cut down to 53 ahead of the regular season, there are few notable or surprising names that end up being cut or traded, and one of those names this year could be Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman, Alex Leatherwood.

#Raiders are expected to trade or cut 2021 1st round pick OL Alex Leatherwood when the rosters are cut to 53 on Tuesday (@JFowlerESPN). pic.twitter.com/nsri0Qfqpb
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) August 26, 2022

This news may not be surprising to those who have seen his underwhelming play, but more so because he was one of the Raiders first-round picks in 2021, meaning that the fans and the organization were certainly expecting much more out of the former Alabama stud. Leatherwood played in all 17 games in his rookie campaign, and ahead of his second NFL season, it appears that the Raiders are preparing to either cut or trade him.

This speculation likely comes because Leatherwood was underwhelming in parts, but also because he was the draft pick of former General Manager Mike Mayock, who whiffed on several first round picks in his time, with the biggest of those being Clelin Ferrell. Whatever the case may be, Leatherwood has a future ahead of him, and even if the Las Vegas Raiders do end up cutting him, he's young enough and will find a new home where he can potentially live up to the potential he showed at Alabama.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports