As the Las Vegas Raiders kickstart another rebuild under new head coach Klint Kubiak, the core of building out an ideal iteration of his offense is clear. The offensive line, due to injuries, inexplicable decisions about who played where (and who played, at times) and ineptitude pushed last season's offense into a full-on lack of consistent function.
Before Kubiak became the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator, their offensive line was not particularly good. Yet, on the way to a Super Bowl win, the unit looked quite good protecting Sam Darnold and opening up holes in the run game.
Sometimes it's about putting players in a position to succeed. Where Pete Carroll and his staff failed on that front, Kubiak and his staff should do better. At a glance, the Raiders have two or three carryovers who will be starters on the offensive line next season.
Left tackle Kolton Miller and center or guard Jackson Powers-Johnson are locks, and free agent guard Dylan Parham could be a starter if he is re-signed. Powers-Johnson and Parham were two of the poster boys of the 2025 coaching staff's miscalculations when it came to the offensive line.
Raiders offered an ideal fit for their reconstructed offensive line
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus recently named the top landing spot for the five best available interior offensive lineman in 2026 free agency. Raider Nation surely has one free agent interior offensive lineman in mind over all others.
But Cameron went another way, naming Las Vegas as the best landing spot for Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo.
"Controversy surrounding the Raiders’ personnel decisions up front — primarily putting Jackson Powers-Johnson at guard rather than center — followed Las Vegas all season. Now, under a new coaching regime, the Raiders can move towards righting those wrongs and fielding an offensive line built to open running lanes for Ashton Jeanty and better protect a potential rookie quarterback. "
"Former Seahawks offensive coordinator and new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak understands the importance of establishing a diverse run game to better allow for shot plays in the passing game through play action."
"Seumalo’s skill set pairs well with that mentality. The 32-year-old guard has been excellent throughout his career with the Eagles and Steelers. During his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Seumalo showcased his talent as a run blocker in gap (82nd percentile) and zone (92nd percentile) concepts. But where he really sets himself apart is through his ability to sell the run out of play action without overextending, having generated the fourth-highest play-action PFF pass-blocking grade (87.8) among guards over the past three seasons."Â
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Las Vegas' front office has two key connections to Seumalo: Brandon Hunt was in Philadelphia for one year with Seumalo, and Anthony Patch was with the Eagles during Seumalo's entire tenure there. These two can give John Spytek plenty of intel that can't be gained by watching tape.
Seumalo has primarily played left guard over the course of his career, with one full season, back in 2022, as the Eagles' starting right guard. Beyond his skill set being a fit for Kubiak's offense, the position he plays aligns well with how the Raiders' offensive line would ideally look.
With Powers-Johnson's most ideal position appearing to be center, the Raiders would have a different starting right guard next season. If Parham is re-signed, he could just be moved back to the position at which he posted a top-20 overall PFF grade in 2024.
The previous coaching staff moved him to left guard, and predictably, his performance fell off this past season. Seumalo also learned under Jeff Stoutland, one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL.
Money will be no object when it comes to pursuing whoever they'd like to free agency, but the 32-year-old Seumalo also comes in at a bargain-level market value of $9.6 million per year to further fortify the fit.