Training camp is about to put the Raiders under the microscope, and that’s exactly where the real progress talk starts. With a new coaching staff and a young roster, Las Vegas still has plenty to sort out before the 2026 NFL season. But the point of camp isn’t just to hand out jobs - it’s to show whether this group is actually moving forward.
That’s why the most revealing battles won’t just be the ones that decide starters and backups. They’ll be the ones that tell you whether the Raiders are building something sturdier than what they had a year ago. Five spots stand out as the clearest measuring sticks.
Quarterback is the obvious one. Geno Smith was a disaster for the Raiders last season, and neither Kenny Pickett nor Aidan O'Connell was much better.
Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza are now in the mix to help change that, with Cousins expected to handle the short-term answer and Mendoza the long-term one. Las Vegas doesn’t need perfection here.
It just needs one quarterback to be below average, and that alone would mark a real step up from last season’s nearly league-worst showing. If Cousins looks adequate and Mendoza flashes promise, that’s progress.
The two guard spots are another place where the Raiders can show they’re not stuck in place. Their starting offensive tackle tandem was by far the worst in the league last year, but Kolton Miller is back from injury and DJ Glaze’s right tackle job isn’t really up for grabs.
That shifts the focus inside, where the competition is tight on both sides of Tyler Linderbaum. Five players seem to be in the mix, and while the offensive line didn’t have any true strengths last season, the guards may have been the least disastrous part of it.
If this group holds up again - or better yet, looks stronger - that would say a lot about the direction of the line, especially with so many young bodies in the mix.
Wide receiver is more about proving there’s an actual answer in the room. The Raiders have plenty of intrigue, but not much proven production.
A lot of people around the league thought Las Vegas didn’t do enough to add to the position this offseason, but there are still enough interesting pieces here to make Kubiak’s offense work. Seven or eight players are fighting for spots and roles, and if even one of them emerges as a dependable option, that would be meaningful progress.
The Raiders don’t need a whole stable of stars right now. They need one receiver they can trust.
There’s a similar story at CB2, where Eric Stokes appears set on one boundary and the nickel and safety spots got help this offseason. The open question is who lines up opposite Stokes.
Darien Porter, Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah "Zeke" Masses are the names in the mix. Any one of them would look like an upgrade over last season, and that by itself would count as progress.
If more than one can rotate into the picture on the outside, that would be even better for Rob Leonard’s defense and a clear shift from what the Raiders have been dealing with in recent years.
Then there’s defensive end, where the Raiders are trying to stop Maxx Crosby from carrying the whole load again. Kwity Paye, Malcolm Koonce and Keyron Crawford are all in position to help, and even UDFA Cian Slone has drawn some hype before camp.
This battle is less about one clean winner and more about sorting out the pecking order, plus figuring out which players fit into which packages and personnel groups. Still, the bigger picture is simple: Las Vegas has spent too long searching for a reliable running mate for Crosby.
If someone finally steps into that role, it would be a sign the Raiders are making real headway.
In Other News...
Jon Gruden Is Back On The Mic In A Familiar Reunion
Jon Gruden is heading back into a familiar football setting this month, and this time it will be from the broadcast booth. The former Raiders coach will join Ronde Barber on the call for the Buccaneers preseason game against the Chiefs on Aug. 22, bringing together two central figures from Tampa Bays first Super Bowl championship in a role that keeps Gruden close to the game without putting him back on the sideline.
For Tampa Bay, the assignment fits into a broader reconciliation with one of the most recognizable names in franchise history. The Buccaneers have already reinstated Gruden to their Ring of Honor and made the broadcast move public, giving this reunion a ceremonial feel as much as a football one. It also gives Gruden another chance to work in a setting he has shown interest in, with the booth offering a different kind of test than the one he spent years preparing for on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans Should Be Worried About Dont'e Thornton Jr. Right Now
Dont'e Thornton Jr. entered the league with the kind of traits teams dream on, and the Raiders took the swing in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft because of his size and speed. The problem is that the promise never quite turned into steady production as a rookie, even after Las Vegas brought in Tyler Lockett mid-season to help the passing game. Thornton finished with 10 catches for 135 yards and 253 passing snaps, a line that leaves plenty of room for optimism but not much proof yet.
Now the pressure is only getting heavier. The Raiders have added more wide receivers this offseason, which means Thornton is no longer just trying to turn flashes into consistency, he is trying to keep himself in the mix at all. For a player whose appeal has always been tied to upside, this is the part of the career arc where the little things start to matter, and where every practice rep can shape how the team views him going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans Are Starting To Believe Ashton Jeanty Is Different
Klint Kubiaks arrival has put a fresh spotlight on the Raiders offense, and the clearest place to see the change is in the run game. Las Vegas spent the offseason trying to make life easier up front, adding center Tyler Linderbaum, guard Spencer Burford and rookie Trey Zuhn III as part of a broader effort to stabilize the line and give the ground attack a real foundation.
That matters because Ashton Jeanty is already the player fans are circling as the one who could make the whole plan work. The former first-round pick showed enough as a rookie to keep belief alive, even if the production was uneven, and now the question is whether a better structure around him can turn that promise into something much bigger in the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]