The Las Vegas Raiders have finally finished their nightmare 2025 NFL season. While they were able to close things out with a satisfying 14-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, they finished the year with a 3-14 record, which was bad enough to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The first major domino of the offseason has already fallen, as the team announced that it had fired Pete Carroll on Monday. The next order of business will be finding his replacement, then building out a roster that has needs in virtually every positional room.
While finding a quarterback of the future will clearly be the top priority, the Raiders will likely use the first overall pick to do exactly that. The rest of the draft, where they are projected to have nine other picks, and free agency, where they have over $100 million in cap space, will be pivotal to ensuring that a potential rookie quarterback has success.
One area of need clearly stands out above all others, however.
Raiders must rebuild their offensive line this offseason
Las Vegas finished last in the league in both scoring offense and total yards, as they failed to score 30 points even once this season. The offensive line was a major cause for the offense's shortcomings, as they allowed a league-leading 64 sacks while struggling to create lanes for a rushing attack that finished last in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry.
While Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson returning from injured reserve in 2026 should help the unit, it is clear that upgrades are still needed. Caleb Rogers showed that he could be a solution at one starting guard spot, as he played relatively well in his six starts. Meanwhile, Charles Grant finally got the opportunity to play meaningful snaps in Week 18 and held up well.
Even if the Raiders feel confident in the pair of 2025 third-round draft picks going into their sophomore seasons, the team will need to bring in competition for both players, as they simply did not get enough playing time to justify giving them the starting job without a backup plan. The new coaching staff will also have to figure out whether they want Powers-Johnson at center or guard.
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That decision will likely influence how the rest of the offensive line is built. There are several intriguing options in both free agency and the draft; however, it will be up to the front office to nail those moves. One name that stands out is Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who is just 25 years old and was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season in 2025.
His age and ability should make him one of the focuses of the front office during the offseason. Las Vegas will also have to decide if it wants to bring Dylan Parham back despite his play taking a step in the wrong direction this year. DJ Glaze also remains in the fold as a candidate to compete for playing time at right tackle after starting 31 of his 34 games played in the first two seasons of his career.
The Raiders will have plenty to figure out when it comes to addressing the offensive line, as left tackle is the only position that is truly set in stone. It will be pivotal that the unit plays better in 2026, as their struggles often held rookie running back Ashton Jeanty back. With the team in position to draft a quarterback, they can not risk the offensive line hindering his development as well.
Fixing one of the league's worst position rooms should be the top priority this offseason. If they can do so, the incoming rookie quarterback, along with Jeanty, could be in line to turn the offense around much quicker than fans expect.