The Raiders’ offensive line is already set up to look a whole lot different in 2026, and the biggest reason is simple: the group has nowhere to go but up.
Las Vegas won only three games last season, and the line was a major part of the mess. The Raiders wanted to lean on the run, but they never had the right bodies up front to keep that plan rolling for four quarters.
Pete Carroll gets plenty of the blame for how the roster was built, and Kolton Miller’s injuries only made things worse. Their best lineman couldn’t stay on the field consistently, and the whole unit paid for it.
Then came Klint Kubiak, who immediately changed the conversation by resetting the interior market with the deal the Raiders gave Tyler Linderbaum. That move gives Las Vegas a major upgrade at center, and if Miller can stay healthy next season, it’s hard to see this group finishing with the league’s worst offensive line again in 2026.
There’s also a new name in the mix who could help lift the floor of the entire unit: Spencer Burford.
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports highlighted Burford as one of several veteran players who could bounce back in 2026, and he was the lone Raider on that list. Burford comes over after spending years with the San Francisco 49ers, and the hope is that he can stabilize the right side of the line.
"After starting 29 regular-season games over his first two seasons, Burford has been limited to just nine starts between the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the 49ers," said Edwards.
"Playing alongside Trent Williams had been a good situation, but Burford now steps into a better situation sandwiched between Kolton Miller and Tyler Linderbaum. There are deficiencies in Burford's game, but new head coach Klint Kubiak had done a good job relieving some of the stress his offensive line shouldered through the scheme."
That’s the bet here: Kubiak can make the line work better through scheme, and Burford can be good enough to hold his own. The alternative is another Alex Cappa-type season, and nobody in Las Vegas wants that again. Still, Kubiak appears more willing to adjust than Carroll, which matters if Burford doesn’t seize the job.
If the move hits, the Raiders could suddenly have a dangerous left side. Ashton Jeanty is going to need a breakout season, and Burford has the strength and drive to clear out defenders and make life easier for him.
Even if Burford is only healthy and steady, the Raiders’ front already looks far better than it did a year ago. And if Burford and Miller are both right, Jeanty could be running behind a line that gives him a very different ceiling after nearly cracking 1,000 rushing yards behind a bad one last season.
In Other News...
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Raiders Fans Wont Like Who Sean Payton Keeps Leaning On
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The concern is not just the contact itself, but the timing and the optics around it. With Tom Brady now in the Raiders ownership orbit, any line of communication between him and a division rivals head coach is bound to raise eyebrows, especially as Denver tries to climb in the same AFC West race. Even without the full details of what is being shared, the setup alone leaves plenty for Raiders fans to wonder about. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Finally Have Proof Jeanty Never Had A Fair Shot
A rough look at the Raiders offense in 2025 has done more than explain why the run game stalled. It has also given Ashton Jeanty a little more context for a season in which he was asked to work behind what one source inside the team described as one of the leagues worst offensive lines. Jeanty averaged just 1.26 yards before contact per rush, a number that underscored how little room he had to operate before defenders were already in his lap.
The bigger concern is that the problems were not only about talent up front. Commentary around the season pointed to a coaching disconnect, with the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach not fully aligned on how the system should be taught or carried out. For Jeanty, that leaves the Raiders with an uncomfortable question heading into the future: how much of what looked like a disappointing rookie run was really on the back, and how much was the structure around him? [Read more 🡒]