NFL Draft Will Add Intrigue for 1 Raiders Position Group

The Las Vegas Raiders know all too well that games are won and lost in the trenches.

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The Raiders' offensive line allowed the most sacks of any team in the league. They helped pave the way for the league's worst rushing defense for the second consecutive season. Geno Smith led the league in interceptions, largely due to playing behind a bad offensive line.

Shortly after firing Pete Carroll, Raiders general manager John Spytek explained how he planned to approach fixing Las Vegas' offensive line this offseason.

"We're going to attack this entire offseason with an extremely open mind. And anybody that can help bolster that offensive line and do the job required will be considered.," Spytek said.

"We have a lot of cap space; we've got some elite draft picks and maybe adding a veteran presence in there or two would be helpful but not necessarily an absolute necessity. We're not going to begin with the end in mind," Spytek said.

Spytek then went and handed a record contract to center Tyler Linderbaum to help stabilize Las Vegas' struggling offensive line. They will depend on Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson to return to form. DJ Glaze will likely line up at right tackle. Leaving only one real question right now.

Caleb Rogers and recently signed Spencer Burford will likely battle it out for the guard position opposite Powers-Johnson. On paper, it may seem as if the Raiders have everything figured out along the offensive line, and in regard to their starters, they somewhat do.

At the NFL Combine, Spytek provided further insight into how the Raiders plan to determine their starting lineup for the 2026 season. As Klint Kubiak looks to install his way of doing things, Spytek left things open to how Las Vegas will address their offensive line this upcoming season.

"Whoever the best five are, they'll be out there, and I love Jackson [Powers-Johnson]. He had a hard season, obviously, for a lot of different reasons. He's healthy now, and we're going to talk to Klint [Kubiak] and Rick Dennison and the O-line group, and we'll figure out the best five to run with,” Spytek said.

Whether or not there will be much movement among the starting offensive line remains to be seen. However, the real intrigue for the Raiders will come from the NFL Draft. The Raiders have the No. 36 pick in the draft, and they could easily stumble upon an offensive lineman with first-round talent.

If that were to happen at tackle, it seems unlikely the Raiders would pass on that player at No. 36. Yet, the Raiders also have a third-round pick and three picks in the fourth round. Las Vegas could use any number of those four picks on offensive linemen.

After the struggles the Raiders have had along the offensive line over the past two seasons, and the injuries they suffered to some of their best offensive linemen during the 2025 season, no one would blame the Raiders for spending multiple mid-round picks on offensive linemen.

Doing so would be a solid way to protect the investment they have already made along the offensive line with sizeable contracts and recent draft picks dedicated to expected starters. Adding multiple offensive linemen would only make the entire unit better, and more interesting this offseason.