The Raiders open the 2026 season at Allegiant Stadium with a matchup that, on paper, should tilt their way. Miami comes in with a roster the source describes as being in contention for the first overall pick next season, and Las Vegas will be trying to start fast in one of the few games it’s expected to be favored in all year.
That doesn’t mean the Dolphins can be ignored. Even with a new face under center after Miami took a massive dead cap hit to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, the Raiders still have to sort out which offensive threats deserve the most attention.
At the center of it all is Malik Willis, now tasked with creating offense with a limited supporting cast. The biggest concern for Las Vegas is simple: if Willis gets loose, the play can turn ugly in a hurry. His mobility and scrambling ability are exactly the kind of traits that can make a defense lose its discipline, and Maxx Crosby and the rest of the Raiders’ front will have to stay sharp on their closing pressures all week.
If the Raiders can take Willis’ legs out of the equation, they can squeeze the Dolphins into a much tougher afternoon. The source makes the point plainly: if Miami has to rely on a receiver to win downfield, Las Vegas’ chances jump dramatically.
There’s also De’Von Achane, who may end up being the Dolphins’ most important offensive piece. With the way Miami could lean on the run game, he’s the player the Raiders need to keep closest tabs on. The source even notes that Achane is likely headed for a huge workload next season and should be the first name on the defensive checklist.
That attention can’t stop at the handoff. Achane’s screen-game burst is a major problem if the defense isn’t ready for it.
Give him space, and he can turn a routine call into a chunk play in a flash. That’s where the Raiders’ linebacker group comes in, and it’s why their ability to keep him from reaching the second level matters so much.
Then there’s Greg Dulcich, who enters the opener healthy despite a reputation for being hurt often. He’s another player the Raiders can’t lose track of, especially because of how quickly he moves for his size. The source points to him as a red-zone threat for Willis and says it wouldn’t be a surprise if he catches the Dolphins’ first touchdown of 2026.
Dulcich also brings a little familiarity to the matchup. His first three seasons came with the Denver Broncos, so he’s already spent time dealing with the Silver and Black in hostile territory.
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For the Raiders, the concern is less about one isolated weak spot than the way the whole roster stacks up across multiple groups. Recent performance, offseason movement and the overall strength of division rivals all feed into the comparison, and the result is a harsh reminder that even solid pieces can look ordinary when measured against AFC West competition. Week 1 will offer the first real answer, but the preseason rankings already suggest Las Vegas has plenty to prove before it can talk about closing the gap. [Read more 🡒]