The Raiders enter Week 1 with a roster that looks steadier than it did a year ago, but not every position group is built the same. Some rooms feel set. Others still look like they’re one injury or one bad week away from trouble.
At the top of the list sits tight end, and it’s not hard to see why. Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer give Las Vegas the clearest strength on the roster, and for the first time, both are expected to play major roles in the offense.
That alone makes this group feel different. Ian Thomas had a disappointing preseason, and the hope is that Carter Runyon can return from injury and give the room another option.
Still, the headliners are strong enough to make tight end the Raiders’ most secure unit.
Running back comes next, which would have sounded pretty wild not long ago given the Raiders’ two-year run of poor rushing production. Ashton Jeanty is still the anchor, but rookie Mike Washington Jr. turned heads in the preseason and looked like a player on the rise.
Behind them, Dylan Laube and Dare Ogunbowale give the group useful depth. If the blocking holds up, this could be a unit that surprises people.
The defensive end room also checks in near the top because of the number of playable bodies around Maxx Crosby. Crosby still carries the load, but Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce give the Raiders a solid rotation.
Patrick Johnson had a strong preseason, and even the practice squad has names that can contribute in Cian Slone and Azeez Ojulari. Keyron Crawford being out for the season hurts, but the overall pass-rush picture is better than it was.
Quarterback lands in the middle of the pack, though there’s real reason for confidence there. Kirk Cousins gave Raider Nation something to like in the preseason by directing three scoring drives on three possessions.
Fernando Mendoza also flashed enough to look like a possible future face of the franchise, which matters in its own right. Aidan O’Connell didn’t have his best stretch, but the top two quarterbacks in the room give this offense a workable foundation.
The interior offensive line is stronger than it was in the spring, even with one starting spot still unsettled at right guard. Klint Kubiak has said he’s choosing between two starters there, and the main trio of Tyler Linderbaum, Spencer Burford and either Jackson Powers-Johnson or Caleb Rogers gives the Raiders a solid base.
Trey Zuhn III adds more insurance, and that matters. Atonio Mafi being on the roster remains a strange part of the equation, but the group as a whole looks improved.
Offensive tackle has a reliable starter in Kolton Miller and a promising one in DJ Glaze, who appeared to make a big jump this offseason under Rick Dennison. Zuhn III can also handle backup right tackle duties, which helps.
The concern is obvious, though: if Miller misses time again, Charles Grant didn’t do enough this preseason to calm nerves. Even so, the starting pair looks above average right now.
Linebacker is where the depth starts to get uncomfortable. Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean should change the look of the middle of the defense, but both come with injury histories that make this room feel fragile. Cody Lindenberg is the only backup who really looks ready for a defensive role at the moment, and if Tommy Eichenberg or Segun Olubi are forced into major snaps, that could become a serious problem.
Cornerback has more talent than security. Eric Stokes is locked in as a starter, and the upside around him is real, but the Raiders still need someone to separate from the pack opposite him.
Darien Porter, Zeke Masses and Jermod McCoy all flashed this preseason, but each also had rough moments. Darrell Luter Jr. brings veteran value, and Taron Johnson is a major piece at nickel, but there’s still a hole that needs to be filled.
Safety is a little sturdier on paper, though not by much. Jeremy Chinn and Treydan Stukes are the likely starters, and Chinn is clearly the more established player.
Stukes is a rookie, which means mistakes are coming. Isaiah Pola-Mao as the first rotation option is fine, but not especially reassuring.
Dalton Johnson and Tristin McCollum are solid enough, just not the kind of depth that makes a defense feel locked in.
Defensive tackle remains one of the biggest unresolved spots on the roster. Adam Butler and an improving Tonka Hemingway are set to start, but the next layer - Jonah Laulu, Thomas Booker IV and Foley Fatukasi - doesn’t exactly jump off the page.
JJ Pegues is still hanging around at the back end of the group, too. There are usable players here, but this is still a unit that needs answers.
Wide receiver rounds things out at the bottom, and there isn’t much mystery as to why. Even Klint Kubiak has voiced frustration with the group, and nobody outside of Tre Tucker has really seized the job.
Jalen Nailor hasn’t broken through, Jack Bech hasn’t made the leap, and Malik Benson couldn’t turn training-camp buzz into preseason production. Dareke Young helps as a returner, but that’s the extent of it.
This room may be the one that gives the Raiders the most trouble early on.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Face A Real Maxx Crosby Problem They Cant Ignore
The Cowboys have already spent the early part of the season reshaping their roster financially, restructuring three veteran contracts to create more than $33 million in cap space. That kind of move inevitably invites a bigger question, and in this case it has quickly centered on Maxx Crosby, the Raiders star edge rusher, with speculation building that Dallas could be positioning itself for a run at him before the Week 10 deadline.
For the Raiders, the chatter is impossible to ignore because it comes on top of prior trade discussions between the two teams and a very public dismissal of the rumors from owner Mark Davis. Crosby has been one of the defining players on the roster, which is exactly why any renewed push from Dallas would land with real force in Las Vegas, even if no deal has been finalized and nothing suggests the talks are close to reaching that point. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Still Paying For Past Roster Mistakes In One Painful Way
The Raiders have started to come out from under a wave of dead money tied to some of their more recognizable recent departures, clearing off cap hits from former players such as Davante Adams, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew and Andre James as they look toward the 2026 NFL season. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to reset its roster, that is a welcome bit of financial breathing room and a sign that some of the most expensive mistakes of the recent past are finally fading.
Even so, the cap picture is still far from clean. Las Vegas remains on the hook for dead cap obligations involving Tyree Wilson, Jakobi Meyers, Geno Smith and Christian Wilkins, a reminder that the roster churn has not always come with easy exits. Those lingering charges are the kind of back-end burden that can quietly shape how aggressive the Raiders can be in the months ahead, even as the organization keeps trying to build around a more stable core. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookie Class Could Force Bigger Roles Faster Than Expected
The Raiders went into the offseason expecting their 2026 draft class to be about long-term development, but the preseason has made that plan look a little more complicated. Several rookies have flashed enough to put themselves in the conversation for real playing time, and Las Vegas has needs that could push younger players onto the field sooner than originally projected.
Fernando Mendoza, Treydan Stukes, Keyron Crawford, Trey Zuhn III, Jermod McCoy and Mike Washington Jr. all entered camp with different paths ahead of them, but the common thread is opportunity. Some are now positioned for starting jobs or meaningful snaps, while others may end up with smaller roles or have their seasons interrupted by injury, leaving the Raiders to sort out just how quickly this class can change the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]