If you ask Klint Kubiak, the Las Vegas Raiders had a successful offseason program. Based on reports, it seemed like a lot of the veteran additions were as advertised, and a few young players have already made their mark. But as fans know all too well, things change dramatically when the pads come on.
Not only can the evaluation of the trenches finally commence, but players who thrive in a T-shirt and shorts suddenly aren't getting separation when they can get hit. Players who pride themselves on physicality are suddenly a factor after they spent the spring being relatively quiet or falling behind.
This isn't Kubiak's first rodeo; he knows how these sorts of things go. And for the Raiders, as for most young and rebuilding teams, competition will be at the forefront when the real thing starts in late July. So, here are six battles that will shape Kubiak's first training camp with the Silver and Black.
Position battles to watch at Las Vegas Raiders training camp
Starting quarterback
Duh.
While Kirk Cousins is probably the betting favorite to begin the year at this point, I just can't seem to cross out the possibility in my mind of Fernando Mendoza coming to camp and putting it all together. And if he shows out during the preseason in front of fans? The pressure on Kubiak will mount heavily.
Now, the messaging in Las Vegas has been fairly clear about going through the right process with Mendoza, and we don't know what that is. But until Kubiak officially declares one way or another, this is a competition, and as Kubiak has said, it will reveal itself in training camp. Buckle up for a fun month.
Guard spots
Although Spencer Burford seems fairly entrenched at left guard, it's not as if the spot has already been given to him. The Raiders have a myriad of promising youngsters in Jackson Powers-Johnson, Trey Zuhn III and Caleb Rogers. Oh, and Jordan Meredith is a versatile piece who is no slouch either.
Powers-Johnson should start, too, but as always, he'll have to improve and work for it. Rogers looked good in limited action last year, Meredith played well in 2024, and Zuhn III comes out of Texas A&M with a lot of promise. It'll be a bloody battle between five men for two spots, and all of them are solid.
CB2
Eric Stokes has a starting spot on the boundary locked down. But who will start opposite him? Darien Porter has the most experience, and he looked promising late last year as a rookie. But rookies Zeke Masses and Jermod McCoy won't make it easy on him, and Decamerion Richardson is still around.
If he's healthy, it stands to reason that McCoy would get the nod, considering his immense talent level. But he may have missed too much of the offseason program to start right away. However, in his absence, Masses got more reps, and he started working in with the first team, alternating with Porter.
Surprisingly, several good options exist for the Silver and Black. A somewhat heavy rotation may be in order for this room, as they have too many young players deserving of reps to just stick two out there and ride them until the brakes fall off, as they did last year. This will be an interesting one to follow.
Starting right tackle
Nobody seems to be talking about it, but DJ Glaze did not play well enough in 2025 to not at least be challenged for his job. And Charles Grant is probably in the mix, at least somewhat, but it seemed like Glaze worked with the starting five throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp. I hope that'll change.
Glaze looked solid as a rookie, and I have no issue with him starting, so long as he actually earned it in the offseason. But trotting him back out there without giving Grant, whom the Raiders mortgaged a third-rounder on just a year ago, a chance, would be a bit unsettling for the offense.
So, although it hasn't really been touched on, look for a Glaze vs. Grant showdown in late July and early August. Whoever Rick 'Rico' Dennison thinks is grasping the new offense better and can keep Las Vegas' quarterback upright should get the nod, no questions asked.
Third running back
Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. will get the bulk of, if not all of, the carries, barring something unforeseen. But the Raiders aren't going to just keep two running backs on the roster, so who will be the third halfback in the room and the one expected to take on a massive special teams role?
Fans love UDFA Roman Hemby, but Dylan Laube is a veteran with experience who can do a multitude of things in the often-forgotten third phase of the game. Can one stave off the other? Will both look good and push the team to keep five backs, including a fullback? Time will tell. This'll be a close one.
General rotation at several spots
The starters at linebacker, defensive tackle, wide receiver and defensive end are well established. But the depth behind them, at least the exact pecking order, will need to be sorted out over the next two months or so, and no shortage of players find themselves in the running for snaps.
At linebacker, Cody Lindenberg, Tommy Eichenberg, Segun Olubi and Xavian Sorey Jr. figure to compete for a role behind Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. Malcolm Koonce, Keyron Crawford and Cian Slone will want to be the first to rotate in behind Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye at defensive end.
Beyond Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor, it'll be Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Malik Benson and Shedrick Jackson vying for a role at wide receiver. At defensive tackle, it is anyone's guess as to who will rotate in with Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, Thomas Booker IV and Tonka Hemingway on the interior.
What an exciting list of names to keep track of!
Add us as a preferred source on Google