Stability has been a complete afterthought in recent years for the Las Vegas Raiders, and the ripple effect of that has been massive. Not only have players struggled to find their footing, but they have rarely stuck around long enough to really become something for the Silver and Black. But no longer.
The tandem of John Spytek and Klint Kubiak is seemingly here to stay, and the Raiders' outlook has changed dramatically. With a new coaching staff, in particular, the prospects for a number of young players are significantly different. A new lease on life was needed for so many in Las Vegas.
So, ahead of training camp officially starting before the 2026 NFL season, we have identified five players on the roster who stand to benefit the most from Kubiak and Rob Leonard now being in charge of the offense and defense, respectively.
Several Las Vegas Raiders stand to benefit from new coaching staff in 2026
Jackson Powers-Johnson, G
No player needed a fresh start more than Powers-Johnson, who was yanked around by the previous coaching staff for no real reason. His talent and love of being a Raider precede him, but Powers-Johnson still needs to stay healthy for a whole year and put it together. He can do that under Kubiak.
With a great offensive line coach in Rick "Rico" Dennison, the former Oregon Duck can fill in some of the gaps in his game. It seemed like the new staff had him slotted in at starting right guard during the spring, but Powers-Johnson will still have to earn it. Better coaching should mean he easily does.
Jack Bech, WR
Bech, like all of Las Vegas' 2025 rookies, wasn't given many chances to show what he can bring to the table last year. But Spytek drafted him in Round 2 for a reason, and the second-year GM didn't make any major additions at the wide receiver spot in part to give Bech a runway to earn more playing time.
Under a crafty coach like Kubiak, Bech's deficiencies can be hidden, and his strengths can be played to, as opposed to with the previous leadership, which asked him to do things that he wasn't great at. A better overall offensive situation will benefit Bech, and that starts with coaching.
Michael Mayer, TE
Mayer is probably sick of "fresh starts" at this point, considering he hasn't had the same head coach or offensive coordinator for consecutive seasons, and he is just going into Year 4. But this should actually be different for him, as credible offensive prowess is coming to Las Vegas in multiple ways.
Kubiak's offense relies on multiple-tight-end personnel groupings, and he wants to get the ball to his best playmakers. They have multiple QBs who can execute that, and with a lack of solutions at wide receiver, Mayer could finally break out and be the player Raider Nation thought he'd be when drafted.
Malcolm Koonce, DE
Koonce has endured an obscure career thus far, and a major injury in 2024 certainly hasn't helped. But he started to look like his old self at the end of 2025 and could be in for a big campaign now that his limitations from that injury, either mental or physical, have hopefully fully subsided.
And there is no better coach to be leading his unit in 2026 than Leonard, who developed him into an adequate NFL pass rusher as his position coach. Leonard should put Koonce in positions to succeed, and with a better overall pass rush in Las Vegas, Koonce stands to benefit tremendously.
Isaiah Pola-Mao, SAF
Pola-Mao undoubtedly had a rough 2025 campaign, but that could be explained, in part, by Las Vegas running Pete Carroll's archaic defense and the Raiders playing Pola-Mao out of position. He is not a deep safety; he is a box safety who thrives most playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
It sounds like the Silver and Black still had Pola-Mao working with the first unit or quickly rotating in during the spring, so perhaps with a role and schematic adjustment, he could have a bounce-back season. Spytek did give him a two-year deal upon his arrival, so the door isn't shut for him quite yet.
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