The Raiders’ most consequential non-quarterback battles in training camp are going to be fought on the line and in the secondary, with a few jobs wide open and a few others leaning toward veterans who already know Klint Kubiak’s system.
That matters because this isn’t just about filling out a depth chart. Las Vegas has real competition brewing at spots where one winner could shape how the offense and defense look in 2026. And while quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver aren’t part of this conversation, the rest of the roster has plenty to sort out.
Here’s a look at the five biggest camp fights, starting with the one that may be the most unsettled of all.
Free safety
This could end up being the Raiders’ most volatile battle, and there’s a real chance the eventual Week 1 starter isn’t even on the roster yet when camp opens.
Isaiah Pola-Mao handled a team-high 713 snaps at free safety last season, but the results were rough. According to Pro Football Focus, he gave up a 115.3 passer rating and five touchdowns in coverage.
Lonnie Johnson Jr. was next on the team in snaps at free safety with 243, but he left in free agency and signed with the Miami Dolphins.
That leaves two rookies from Arizona, second-round pick Treydan Stukes and fifth-rounder Dalton Johnson, as the main challengers. Stukes logged only 39 snaps at free safety in college, per Pro Football Focus. Johnson had 362 snaps there, though most of his work came closer to the box.
Neither rookie brings much experience as the last line of defense, which is why the Raiders could still look outside the building before Week 1.
No. 2 cornerback
Darien Porter got thrown into the fire as a rookie and had his share of growing pains, starting 10 of 17 games. He allowed a 100.9 passer rating and a touchdown in coverage, and now he’s trying to take a clear step forward in year two.
If he doesn’t, Jermod McCoy is waiting.
McCoy arrived from college with a more polished resume than Porter, having started for two years at Oregon State and Tennessee. A knee injury likely kept him from going in the first round, but Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post reported that McCoy will be a full participant at training camp.
The Raiders had managed his workload in the spring while he recovered, but if he’s truly full-go, this could turn into a straight-up fight. In two college seasons, McCoy produced 16 pass breakups and six interceptions.
There’s also a sleeper in the mix. Rookie fifth-rounder Hezekiah Masses took some first-team reps in the spring, and ESPN’s Ryan McFadden said he was in the conversation for the job.
“During minicamp, he alternated first-team reps with second-year corner Darien Porter. And at times, Masses' ball skills and man-to-man coverage ability were on display. Expect him to be in the mix for the starting outside cornerback role, along with Porter and fellow rookie Jermod McCoy.”
Right guard
Jackson Powers-Johnson opened last season as the starter at right guard before an ankle injury knocked him off course in 2025. Now he has to hold off Caleb Rogers and rookie third-round pick Trey Zuhn III to keep the job.
Rogers started six games last season and played all 284 of his snaps at right guard, where he allowed 11 pressures, including three sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Zuhn was mostly a left tackle at Texas A&M, but he also got work at right tackle and right guard during the spring, per The Athletic’s Sam Warren.
The Raiders could play around with Rogers and Zuhn on the left side too, but the pressure is clearly on Powers-Johnson in his third season. He’s dealt with injuries over the past two years, and general manager John Spytek didn’t draft him.
He’ll need to stay on the field and win out against two third-round picks brought in by the Raiders’ top front-office executive.
Left guard
Dylan Parham’s departure in free agency opened the door at left guard, and Spencer Burford looks like the favorite to walk through it.
Burford has 38 career starts and signed with Las Vegas knowing Kubiak’s system. That familiarity matters.
In 2023, when Kubiak was Kyle Shanahan’s passing game coordinator in San Francisco, Burford started at right guard. The next year, Burford moved to the left side, though by then Kubiak had already taken the offensive coordinator job in New Orleans.
That background gives Burford a built-in edge, especially with the Raiders’ coaching staff likely valuing someone who already understands how Kubiak wants the passing game to function. He may also face less resistance than the player battling for the right guard spot.
Kicker
Las Vegas moved on from longtime kicker Daniel Carlson this offseason and replaced him with Matt Gay on a one-year, $1.6 million deal. The Raiders also brought in undrafted free agent Kansei Matsuzawa from Hawai'i, better known to fans as “The Tokyo Toe.”
Gay has the pedigree. In 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams, he made the Pro Bowl after hitting 94.1% of his field goals and 98% of his extra points.
But the last three seasons have been a different story. Since 2024, he’s played for three teams and finished below 84% on field goals in each of the last three years, though he did go 4-for-4 with the San Francisco 49ers last season.
If Gay doesn’t look sharp in preseason, Matsuzawa has a real opening. The 2025 Consensus All-American made 27 of 29 field goals in his final season with the Rainbow Warriors.
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