Raiders' 3 Biggest Training Camp Battles To Watch

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders veterans will report tomorrow, and the highly anticipated Silver and Black 2026 training camp will officially be underway.

An offseason of one successful, disciplined decision after another will finally begin to show dividends as they start a much-needed rebuild and reset one of the world’s most prolific professional sports franchises.

John Spytek — Raiders | Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI

What To Watch

Of course, all eyes will be on the 2026 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick in QB Fernando Mendoza, and they should be.

But the reality entering camp is that GM John Spytek, ownership led by Tom Brady, and new coach Klint Kubiak prefer he wait and learn from Kirk Cousins.

Fernando Mendoza with John Spytek, Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

I believe he will play and start this season, but they have made it clear it won’t be now.

So with that out of the way, on a rebuilding roster, there are battles for jobs at nearly every position, so let’s dig in on the three biggest.

Guard

Ideally, the Raiders would retain nine offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, and I have five men battling for spots: Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ), Spencer Burford, Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn III (R), and Jordan Meredith.

If regular-season games were to kick off today, JPJ and Burford would be your starters. The fact that they don’t kick off today tells you that this is a battle royal in camp, and the number one battle in my opinion. I have already detailed this group previously with a complete position preview of the OL, so I won’t dig into the nuances as I did.

Las Vegas Raiders IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Rick Dennison, the man now considered the best offensive line coach in the NFL, has five men who all want to battle, work, and compete. Sometimes there are battles because of a lack of talent; other times, it is because of a plethora of talent that needs to create separation.

This new staff craves competition, so while the Raiders starting the season with Burford and JPJ would not surprise me, neither would any combination of the five.

Cornerback

This position, in the opinion of many, has been anemic for a long time. That is sad, considering the vast amount of superior talent the Raiders have had over their decades of sustained success.

I project that the Raiders will carry six CBs on the original 53-man roster. Those men that I project to make it are Jermod McCoy (R), Darien Porter, Eric Stokes, Taron Johnson, Hezekiah Masses (R), and Decamerion Richardson.

That is a very young group, but it is not void. I recently wrote a complete position preview of the CBs, so I will not break them all down here, but I will tell you this. Stokes is not a good CB; he was one of the most critical free agent signings of this past year. Bringing him back sent a message to the locker room that needed to be conveyed after Robert Spillane's departure.

Jermod McCoy was universally considered to be the best CB in the 2026 NFL Draft. He fell only because of injury concerns, but those were concerns. The Raiders stole him at the top of the fourth round; the Raiders feel he is healthy, and if he remains so, I anticipate him being a starter immediately.

Don’t sleep on Taron Johnson; the Raiders' John Spytek deserves a medal for being aggressive and getting him rather than entering a bidding war, and that move truly demonstrated the new Raiders way of “Spyteking.”

The rest of this group has talent, eagerness, and a desire to improve. They will get their chance in camp, but they are competing with other promising young players for roster spots.

Tight End

This position isn’t sexy and doesn’t get a lot of attention, but Klint Kubiak’s system is predicated on the tight end position, and not just one. He loves 12, 13, and I wouldn’t be shocked if, at some point this season, we even saw a 14 positional display.

For those unaware, a 12 is simply one running back and two right ends; a 13 is one running back and three right ends on the field; and a 14 is one running back with four tight ends.

Las Vegas Raiders Emerging Superstar TE Brock Bowers | Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

I previously wrote a complete positional preview of the TEs, in great detail this year, but I expect the Raiders to carry three true tight ends, with FB, RB, and TE Connor Heyward filling that fourth spot.

If the season were to start today, the Raiders already have the best TE in the game in Brock Bowers; Michael Mayer is a highly talented player who is entering year four and yet to show the production that equals the potential. Ian Thomas would be the third TE this season if it started today, but Carter Runyon is a young and intriguing player who could come up and steal a spot. This will be fun to watch.

Las Vegas Raiders Michael Mayer | | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Reality vs. Perception

The reality is that the coaches will say that every position is up for grabs; that is true. But there are some in which the talent behind the starter is sufficient to overcome the other.

The point is clear: Kubiak has made it clear the battle is on, and Spytek and his team have significantly upgraded the roster, albeit with multiple young players who have the potential to frame a future that, for the first time in a long time, is bright for the Raiders.

Only now, the brightness is not the neon signs of the Las Vegas strip; it’s the Raiders roster.

Get ready, folks. Tomorrow, the journey starts, and it is going to be a good one.

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