Las Vegas Raiders waive Alex Leatherwood, former 1st-round pick from Alabama

The Las Vegas Raiders have waived former Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, marking an abrupt end to a turbulent Raiders career for the former first-round draft selection.

Leatherwood was drafted No. 17 overall by the Raiders in the 2021 draft, a move that was criticized as a reach for former general manager Mike Mayock. He signed a fully-guaranteed four-year contract, with a fifth-year player option standard for first-round selections, for $14.4 million.

Leatherwood was the third offensive tackle selected that year, behind the Lions' Penei Sewell and the Chargers' Rashawn Slater. But while those two began their careers in impressive fashion, Leatherwood was rated as one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and was moved inside to offensive guard during his rookie year. His performance at guard was somewhat better, but at the onset of his second pro season, the club opted to move on without him.

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Leatherwood's last year at Alabama was in 2020, when the Crimson Tide rolled to an undefeated season and a College Football Playoff title with one of the most dominant offensive lines in the college game. Leatherwood, who played left tackle, won the Outland Trophy as college football's best lineman.

Reach Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Las Vegas Raiders waive Alex Leatherwood, 1st-round pick from Alabama