Perhaps the worst thing that Pete Carroll did as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders was not giving the rookie class a fair shake. The group is littered with talented players who effectively wasted a year of football by not being developed or getting any in-game experience. It was a travesty.
So, John Spytek and Klint Kubiak couldn't comfortably head into this season and anoint any one of them, outside of Ashton Jeanty. But the late-season flashes from several first-year players were promising when Carroll was finally forced to bend the knee at the whim of the organization.
Guard Caleb Rogers was one rookie who put some good stuff on tape at the end of the 2025 NFL season. But the Raiders still added several bodies at guard this offseason, clouding his route to playing time. After mandatory minicamp, though, the battle for a starting guard spot has changed.
Caleb Rogers is emerging as serious contender for starting guard spot on Las Vegas Raiders' OL
Things certainly got more interesting during the early part of the offseason program, as the equation for who to start up front has not yet been solved. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Spencer Burford, Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn III and Jordan Meredith are battling for two spots alongside Tyler Linderbaum.
It appeared in the very early going that Powers-Johnson and Rogers could take those two spots, but Zuhn III looked like serious competition for Rogers after being taken in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. But when OTAs opened up, it was Burford who got the nod at left guard.
Powers-Johnson has been a mainstay at the first-team right guard spot, and Zuhn III, predictably, has been moved all around the line, playing both guard and tackle. So, where exactly does that leave Rogers? He seemed lost in the shuffle early on, but he emerged strongly before summer break.
During the first day of mandatory minicamp, with Powers-Johnson sidelined due to injury, Rogers filled in as the first-team right guard. And according to The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore, Rogers was very impressive and looks "ready to compete for a starting job at RG."
To most fans, that may come as a shock because that's Powers-Johnson's spot. He should only be on the bench if he's injured, which is what most think, including myself. But Bonsignore stood firm in the fact that Powers-Johnson and Rogers could be seriously battling for the spot this fall.
But wouldn't starting both of them and kicking Burford to a rotational role be best? According to Bonsignore, the new staff really likes Burford, and they're not just handing him the job like the previous staff did with certain older or connected players. He is earning it.
Zuhn III could also figure it out at any moment and factor into the guard equation, as you never know when things will click as a rookie. Meredith is also a solid veteran with versatility and experience who cannot be counted out just yet.
Where exactly does that leave the Raiders heading into summer break, then? With a lot of questions to answer in training camp and the preseason, that's for sure. But Rogers' emergence is, by all means, a good thing, as Las Vegas may have multiple suitable answers at guard this year.
Last season, the Silver and Black struggled to, and never really did, field a competent, NFL-level offensive line. But if they have multiple bites at the apple with a slew of intriguing young players, then that is a good problem to have for Kubiak and Co. Keep an eye on this position in the coming months.
Add us as a preferred source on Google