Raiders OT Alex Leatherwood Believes In Himself And Looks Ahead To 2022

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders used their first-round selection on offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. Leatherwood became a day-one starter for the Raiders, and it’s safe to say he had a good share of rookie season struggles.

The offensive line as a whole was poor, and Leatherwood isn’t completely to blame. It’s extremely hard to find a player who didn’t struggle in their first season, but Leatherwood’s struggles seemed extensive, and they left many fans wondering if he was worthy of a first-round pick.

On June 8th, Leatherwood appeared as a guest on the Raiders Podcast Network. During this interview, he talked about a variety of things, including his confidence in himself, blocking out the haters, and his coaching staff in general.

Leatherwood’s Thoughts

“I mean, I’m human. I got emotional. I’m also proud of what I do and my product. So, at first, it definitely was a distraction a little bit. Not anything crazy, but I learned to just block all that out and just be where my feet are and focus on me and getting better every day, no matter what anybody says. Because my coaches, my team, and my teammates, all believe in me. And I believe in myself.”

It’s hard not to feel for him when he talks about those emotions, and there’s a good chance they affected his play. NFL fans are right to have their own opinions, but with Leatherwood struggling as a rookie and then seeing hate comments from those fans, there’s a decent chance that got in his head a bit and affected how he played. Fortunately, one of the best ways to gain confidence is by grinding through the offseason, and that looks like it’s exactly what he’s been doing.

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