Klint Kubiak’s first training camp with the Raiders is about to put the offseason in its proper place.
The spring work may have gone well enough in Las Vegas, with veteran additions looking the part and a few young players flashing early. But once the pads go on in late July, the whole evaluation changes.
Separation gets harder to find, physical players start showing up, and the trench work finally becomes real. Kubiak knows that.
The Raiders know that. And for a young team trying to sort itself out, the next month should tell the story.
The biggest storyline is the one that always grabs the spotlight first: quarterback. Kirk Cousins looks like the favorite to open the season, but Fernando Mendoza is still the name that keeps this from feeling settled.
If Mendoza arrives at camp and puts it together, then turns heads in the preseason in front of fans, the pressure on Kubiak only grows. The Raiders have been clear about taking the right process with Mendoza, though exactly what that process is remains unknown.
Until Kubiak makes it official, this is a real competition, and it’s one he’s said will sort itself out in camp.
The offensive line should be just as lively, especially at guard. Spencer Burford appears to have a hold on left guard, but that doesn’t mean the job is his by default.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, Trey Zuhn III, Caleb Rogers and Jordan Meredith all have a case to make. Powers-Johnson should be in the mix to start, but he still has to keep earning it.
Rogers showed well in limited action last year, Meredith played well in 2024, and Zuhn III arrives from Texas A&M with plenty of promise. That’s five players fighting for two spots, and it has the feel of a real camp battle.
Right tackle is another spot that deserves more attention than it’s getting. DJ Glaze worked with the starting group through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but there’s a case to be made that he should be pushed.
Charles Grant is at least part of the conversation, especially with the Raiders having spent a third-round pick on him just a year ago. Glaze had a solid rookie season, and there’s nothing wrong with him starting if he truly wins the job this offseason.
But handing it back to him without giving Grant a fair shot would be hard to justify. This one should heat up in late July and early August, with Rick ‘Rico’ Dennison deciding who best picks up the new offense and keeps the quarterback upright.
The secondary has its own puzzle at CB2. Eric Stokes has one boundary spot locked down, but the other side is still up for grabs.
Darien Porter has the most experience and showed promise late last season as a rookie, but Zeke Masses and Jermod McCoy are going to make that uncomfortable. Decamerion Richardson is still in the picture too.
If McCoy is healthy, his talent suggests he should have a strong case, but he may have missed too much of the offseason to jump in immediately. In his absence, Masses picked up more work and even began mixing in with the first unit, alternating with Porter.
There are enough young corners here that a rotation may make more sense than forcing two names into place and riding them all the way through.
The third running back spot is another one to watch. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. are expected to handle the bulk of the carries, barring something unexpected, but the Raiders won’t stop at two backs on the roster.
That leaves the third halfback role - and the special teams work that comes with it - up for grabs. Roman Hemby has plenty of fan support as an undrafted free agent, while Dylan Laube brings experience and versatility in the third phase.
One could hold off the other, or both could do enough to push the Raiders toward keeping five backs, fullback included.
Then there’s the broader competition all over the roster. The starters at linebacker, defensive tackle, wide receiver and defensive end are already set, but the depth chart behind them still needs sorting out.
At linebacker, Cody Lindenberg, Tommy Eichenberg, Segun Olubi and Xavian Sorey Jr. are battling for roles behind Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. On the edge, Malcolm Koonce, Keyron Crawford and Cian Slone are trying to be the first rotation behind Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye.
At receiver, Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Malik Benson and Shedrick Jackson are chasing snaps behind Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor. And on the interior defensive line, the rotation behind Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, Thomas Booker IV and Tonka Hemingway is still wide open.
In Other News...
Raiders Could Be Eyeing A Shocking Veteran Trade Next
The Raiders offseason has already been busy, with free-agent additions, some familiar faces brought back and a quarterback room that suddenly looks very different after the club used the No. 1 pick on Fernando Mendoza and added Kirk Cousins on a long-term deal meant to bridge the gap. Even with that kind of investment at the games most important position, the roster still feels like it has more moving parts than most teams this time of year, especially with Las Vegas trying to balance short-term competitiveness against a longer reset.
Eric Stokes is one of the names that fits that uneasy middle ground. He was re-signed this spring, but the Raiders also have a crowded group of young defensive backs, which makes him the kind of player that can draw interest if the front office decides to keep reshaping the roster. Cousins brings a different kind of intrigue, since his contract structure leaves room for the Raiders to pivot if Mendoza gets up to speed quickly, and that possibility alone keeps the quarterback situation from feeling settled just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Already Have One Painful 2025 Roster Miss To Explain
The Raiders spent real energy this spring trying to uncover roster value in the undrafted free-agent market, but the early returns on that 2025 class have been rough. Several of the most notable additions never made it to the active roster, and names like Mello Dotson, Jah Joyner, Tank Booker and Jarrod Hufford have already fallen off the pro-football map or landed elsewhere after failing to stick in Las Vegas.
For a team that has spent years searching for cheap depth and hidden contributors, that kind of turnover is more than a footnote. Carter Runyon is the one UDFA from that group who has actually advanced with the Raiders, while the rest of the class has splintered into different paths, including alternative leagues for some. It leaves the front office with an uncomfortable early reminder that not every low-cost swing turns into a useful piece, even when the team thinks it has found a few. [Read more 🡒]
5 Quiet Raiders Additions Could Matter More Than Fans Think
The Raiders did not make a splashy headline-grabbing run through the offseason, but a few of their quieter additions could end up mattering just as much once camp opens. Benito Jones, Spencer Burford and Thomas Booker IV all bring different kinds of value, from veteran steadiness to interior line competition, while draft pick Hezekiah Masses and undrafted free agent Cian Slone give the roster a little more depth and a few more paths to usefulness.
Burford is the name to watch on the offensive line because there is a real opening for him to push into a bigger role, and Booker already looks like the kind of player who can help a defense without much fanfare. Masses gives Las Vegas another young defensive back to develop, and Slone is the sort of camp body who can turn into something more if he makes enough noise in the summer. None of those moves changed the leagues view of the Raiders overnight, but together they may end up looking a lot smarter than they did on the day they were announced. [Read more 🡒]