Believe it or not, the Las Vegas Raiders play football this week.
On Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. PST, the Silver and Black will host the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium in their first of three preseason games. This will also be the first contest led by Klint Kubiak in his young and hopefully long and illustrious career coaching the Raiders.
Las Vegas has completed nine training camp practices to this point, and while a lot of progress has been made, many questions remain unanswered. Unlike last year, however, these queries are more about who the team should start, not if the team has a startable player at all.
Five position groups in particular stick out as having competitions that are really heating up ahead of the preseason. Let's dive into where things stand in each of them with the privilege of some time and perspective after so much has already unfolded in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL season.
5 Las Vegas Raiders roster battles getting more intense before preseason
Right Guard
Once the Raiders' offensive line got done with its install, they showed their first wrinkle: a rotation at the first-team right guard spot between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers. Powers-Johnson is the incumbent and had gotten the nod until earlier this week, but Rogers is challenging.
Neither player is a bad option. Now, Rogers did get banged up during Saturday's practice, and it is unclear the extent of his injury, if he suffered one at all. But he was sidelined during the team period and did not return. Unfortunately, that could loom large in this battle that feels as tight as a drum.
It will be interesting to see who Las Vegas trots out there in the preseason opener between DJ Glaze and Tyler Linderbaum, but this battle probably won't be settled until one player makes a definitive statement either in practice or during the exhibition slate anyway. Who can draw first blood?
No. 2 Cornerback
Eric Stokes is locked in on one side, but it remains to be seen who will start opposite him. Thankfully, Las Vegas has a handful of promising options in returner Darien Porter, camp riser Zeke Masses and even Jermod McCoy, who is still balancing a complex health regimen with learning the NFL ropes.
Ideally, these players rotate frequently, keeping themselves fresh and opposing offenses on their toes. But fans should keep an eye out for who the Raiders and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard elect to send out with the first-team defense on Thursday; it will speak volumes.
Again, this competition will live on into the regular season. This group has too many promising young players for anyone to be "the guy" at this point and rest on their laurels. Everyone will play, but that first-team distinction will (and should) mean a lot.
Deep Safety
Isaiah Pola-Mao has been etched in as the starting deep safety during the preseason, as he fought off promising rookie Treydan Stukes' bid for first-team reps for quite some time. But the second-rounder is starting to gain traction with more opportunities as the games approach.
In a way, Stukes is learning both the nickel spot and the free safety role, so he should rotate in, and both he and Pola-Mao should play, no matter who wins this "battle." But again, getting the starting nod is coveted, and things are still up in the air as the first exhibition match approaches.
WR3
Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor have been penciled in as the top two wide receivers all offseason, and they'll probably be the two starters, considering Las Vegas will likely come out in 12 personnel. But how things shake out behind them is a battle that Raider Nation is dialed in on.
Second-year leaps were expected for Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr., but it has actually been rookie sixth-rounder Malik Benson who has impressed the most during camp and seems best-suited for a rise to the No. 3 wide receiver post. He could legitimately play first-team reps.
Bech has made a handful of plays during camp, and he and Benson are so different that they can co-exist in different roles. But in terms of playing time, unless Bech or Thornton Jr. (who is dealing with an injury at the moment) makes a move here, Benson could leapfrog them in the wideout rotation.
Starting quarterback
Ah, yes.
Kirk Cousins' suspension from the team period during Saturday's practice opened the door for Fernando Mendoza to play with the first-team offense for the first time, and the young quarterback did not disappoint. He very much gave the coaching staff more to consider with Week 1 looming.
The more opportunities Mendoza gets, the more pressure he should put on Cousins, Kubiak and the staff. Preseason isn't really the time for veteran signal-callers, either, so the rookie should get plenty of run and will be able to showcase his prowess for all of the fanbase and the building to see.
Cousins couldn't afford to give Mendoza an inch, and he gave him a mile. It really could come down to the wire as to who the Silver and Black tab as their starting quarterback to kick off the 2026 NFL season against the Miami Dolphins. This competition is far from over, and will be until Mendoza starts.
Then, it'll be over, and hopefully for a decade or more.
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