In the run-up to the draft, we’ve been breaking down all of the players added by the Jets during free agency and in the legal tampering window. We continue today with offensive lineman Dylan Parham.
The 26-year old Parham is listed at 6’3” and 311 pounds and was a third round pick out of Memphis in 2022. Parham started 63 games during his first four seasons with the Raiders.
Background
Parham was only a two-star recruit out of high school and was originally listed as a defensive end prospect, although
he started off as a tight end at Memphis, where he redshirted his first season in 2017.
Ahead of his redshirt freshman season, Parham switched onto the offensive line and became a four-year starter and then entered the 2022 draft, whereupon he was selected by the Raiders in the third round.
During his Tigers career, he was an all-AAC honorable mention in 2019 and first-teamer in 2021.
He’s been a four-year starter with the Raiders too, starting every game in his first two years and 29 of 34 games in the past two seasons.
2024 was his most consistent season but he struggled badly at the start of last year and there were calls for him to be benched, although he did settle down over the course of the season.
Parham was signed by the Jets in free agency on a two-year deal with a reported maximum value of $20 million.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Parham brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Parham’s listed weight corresponds to what he weighed during the pre-draft process, but he was actually listed at 332 with the Raiders last season.
To add to the confusion, the Raiders had listed him at just 285 in the previous season, but that was apparently his weight back in his junior year in 2020. He bulked up to 304 that offseason and has obviously bulked up further from the 310 range to around 330 since entering the league.
Parham has average length but his athletic numbers are solid. He ran a 4.93 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and posted 25 bench press reps at his pro day. His explosiveness and agility numbers at the combine were also solid.
Usage
Parham has displayed excellent versatility during his career so far. At the NFL level, he has mostly played left guard, but he started at right guard in 2024 – his most consistent pro season – and has filled in as the starting center three times.
In college, he played both guard positions and was going to be the starting center in 2020 but ended up starting every game at right tackle instead.
In high school, he also played linebacker, defensive end and tight end.
Pass Blocking
Parham looked to have made good progress in 2024 as he only allowed one sack, having previously given up a total of 11 in his first two NFL seasons. However, he was part of a badly overmatched starting unit last season and ended up getting beaten for six sacks even though his rate of pressure allowed was quite low.
In college, he gave up eight sacks in his first two seasons, but then gave up just one in his last two seasons.
Parham can be moved off his spot or struggle to stay in front of his man at times.
Run Blocking
Parham’s run blocking grades from analytical sites such as Pro Football Focus were excellent in college and have typically been above average to good at the NFL level.
He displays good strength and power at the point of attack and can use his size to drive his man back.
However, he can be beaten by quickness at the snap, enabling opposing players to shoot gaps.
He has shown an ability to move from one assignment to another and has an understanding of angles.
While his skill-set is more suited to zone blocking assignments, he has enough athletic ability to get out on the move and can find a man to block in space.
Short Yardage
The Raiders were not very successful in short yardage situations last season. In fact, they didn’t have a one or two-yard touchdown run all season.
In previous years, they have fared better in such situations and Parham is a big body that can play his part in that.
Screen Blocking
Parham has displayed the athleticism and agility to get out in front of screen passes, which were a big part of the Raiders offense last year.
Footwork/Technique
Parham has struggled against the bull rush in the past, with his base too narrow and his pad level too high at times. However, this is an area where he has been seeing improved technique and results.
He moves his feet well and, despite only having average length, uses his hands and upper body strength well to buy himself time.
Penalties
Parham’s on-field discipline has generally been very good. He hasn’t had more than five penalties in any season at the college or pro level since he was a redshirt freshman at Memphis.
Where he has been penalized at the NFL level, the majority have been for offensive holding.
Special Teams
Parham’s only role on special teams at the NFL level has been blocking on the placekicking unit and he has no mistakes or penalties within that role.
This was also the case in college, although he did have a few snaps rushing kicks or blocking in punt protection.
Instincts/Intelligence
It’s difficult to judge who is at fault when there are as many breakdowns as there were on the Raiders’ line last year but it did seem clear that Parham’s awareness was lacking at times.
You would like to think that this, along with his occasional inability to diagnose stunts and games, would be an area where he improves with experience and on a unit that doesn’t keep losing key personnel.
There was also a game in 2024 when the Raiders could have beaten the Chiefs but Parham signalled for the ball to be snapped too early, leading to a costly fumbled snap.
He has had three pre-snap penalties at the NFL level, all of them on false starts.
In college, he was a three-time selection for the AAC’s all-academic team and was also on the Dean’s List in the 2018 fall semester.
Attitude
Parham is regarded as quiet, although he noted that he needed to become more vocal towards the end of his Memphis career as one of the few elder statesmen on offense.
As noted, his on-field discipline has been solid with just one personal foul for unnecessary roughness.
He does show a nasty streak at times, regularly displaying aggression in situations where he can go “looking for work”.
Injuries
Parham didn’t miss any time during his college career, or in his first two seasons with the Raiders, but he missed two games with a foot injury in 2024 and the last two games of 2025 due to illness.
He has also been listed on the injury report with injuries to his back, Achilles, calf and knee during his career but without missing any games due to these issues.
Scheme Fit
Parham looks set to slot into the starting lineup for the Jets at left guard and hopefully has similar traits to the outgoing John Simpson.
The Jets might draft a potential starter for the offensive interior as well, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that Parham would go to the bench. Joe Tippmann or even Parham himself could end up as the starting center, as some Raiders analysts felt that could be Parham’s best position and he didn’t give up a sack in his three starts there. There had been speculation that other teams were looking at Parham as a center option too.
He has been a teammate of current Jets players Geno Smith, Chris Smith and Mykal Walker while he with the Raiders.
Conclusions
After allowing both Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker to walk, the Jets had to fill one of their starting spots in a group that otherwise has good continuity.
Parham being a couple of years younger than Simpson makes him an attractive option and, while it may be a concern that the Raiders’ offensive line looked so bad last season, the hope would be that this had more to do with the players around Parham than anything he himself had control over. That being the case, slotting into a more stable unit could be the best case scenario for him.
You can expect the Jets to add some youth in the draft and perhaps look to extend Tippmann soon. Either way, the addition of Parham seems to consolidate the group nicely.
