Training camp is nearly upon us.
If that sentence didn't give you goosebumps or a tingling feeling, then I don't know what to tell you. Las Vegas Raiders football is so close to being back, and for the first time in a while, it feels like the Silver and Black aren't being sold false hope, even if things don't pan out immediately.
With a new coaching staff and young roster, it will take a bit for the pieces to fit together perfectly. But every player in the building will be battling for a starting job, a significant role or simply a spot on the roster or practice squad. Competition will be abundant in Las Vegas before the 2026 NFL season.
We have gone over the positional battles that will define Klint Kubiak's camp, and we have ranked the competitions in order of importance. But what about the battles that will show real roster progress, or a lack of it? Five of them stick out just days before padded practices start.
Las Vegas Raiders can show progress through 5 training camp battles
Quarterback
Geno Smith was a disaster for the Raiders last season, and neither Kenny Pickett nor Aidan O'Connell was much better. But Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza are here to save the day in the short and long-term, respectively, so the arrow should be pointing up for this group and the offense as a whole.
All Las Vegas needs is for one of these quarterbacks to just be below average, and that will be an improvement from the nearly league-worst effort it had a season ago. If Cousins looks adequate and Mendoza shows promise, then that is some serious progress for the Silver and Black.
Both Guard Spots
Las Vegas' starting offensive tackle tandem was by far the worst in the league last year. But with Kolton Miller returning from injury and DJ Glaze's right tackle spot not really up for grabs, we will fixate on the starting guard spots on either side of Tyler Linderbaum. The competition here is quite stiff.
In reality, the Raiders have five players who appear worthy of consideration. Although the offensive line didn't have any "strengths" last year, one could argue that the guards were the least disastrous. So, this pair must pull its weight this year once again and supplement what is a better overall unit.
Even more promising is the fact that this contingent of guards in Las Vegas is still very young, so if the starting pair looks strong, then that bodes incredibly well for the future of the trenches. And some depth pieces performing well would just be gravy.
Wide Receiver
The Raiders aren't short on promise at wide receiver, but they are short on proven production. Most think that Las Vegas was unwise to add so little to this group during the offseason, but the unit has some intriguing skill sets and players who could thrive in Kubiak's offense.
If even one player of the seven or eight legitimately competing for roster spots and roles can prove that they are a bona fide reliable option, that would be progress for the Silver and Black. The more the merrier, obviously, but the Raiders simply need one go-to wideout, and they don't have that yet.
CB2
Eric Stokes can certainly hold it down on one boundary, and the nickel and safety spots appear to have been bolstered this offseason. But a question still remains about who will start opposite Stokes. The candidates are Darien Porter, Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah "Zeke" Masses.
Honestly, any of these three players seem to be an upgrade over last year, and that is already progress. But having potentially multiple options to rotate in on the outside would be so promising for Rob Leonard's group, and a distinct change from seasons past.
Defensive end
We're all sick of Maxx Crosby having to do it all himself, right? Well, the Raiders have a myriad of options to step up alongside him this year in Kwity Paye, Malcolm Koonce and Keyron Crawford. Heck, even UDFA Cian Slone has been garnerning a bit of hype before training camp.
Although this "battle" is more about sorting through the pecking order and figuring out which and how many packages and personnel groups each player belongs in, establishing a great Robin to Crosby's Batman has been a lost art in Las Vegas. But they can buck that trend and show progress.
Add us as a preferred source on Google