Las Vegas Raiders fans would have been thrilled if you told them at any point before the 2026 season that the Silver and Black would be 4-4 heading into the Battle of the Bay against the San Francisco 49ers. For a team that won just three games last year, even being in the hunt at this point is a gift.
With eight games now in the rearview mirror and nine on the horizon in this campaign, this week has felt like a good point to reflect on what this team has accomplished, evaluate where things stand currently, and project where this team may be headed in the next few months.
From assessing next year's free agents and free agent targets to predicting the rest of the schedule, to ranking the rookies and evaluating John Spytek, it has been a week full of pondering and contemplation at this site. In the next volume of this series, let's rank every Raiders position group.
Rankings Las Vegas Raiders' position groups halfway through 2026
1. Tight end
How could it be any other group?
Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer don't just headline the best group on the Raiders; they are the best tight end duo in the NFL. Bowers, despite missing two games, is 13th in the league in receiving yards, and Mayer has already set a career high in catches and yards while being top 10 among tight ends in yards and fourth in catches. The offense flows through them, and this is a great Las Vegas offense.
2. Quarterback
Kirk Cousins has shattered everyone's expectations this season. He has his shortcomings, and fans are still excited about the Fernando Mendoza era, but Cousins has done very well in less-than-perfect circumstances. Stats aren't everything, but he's third in the NFL in yards and second in touchdowns while tossing just five interceptions and taking only 11 sacks. That is good football.
3. Offensive tackle
The duo of Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze has actually been highlighted by the latter this year. Glaze has played exceptionally well, particularly in pass protection, and Miller's five sacks allowed, according to Pro Football Focus, are a bit of a misnomer; only three of them were his fault. The Raiders don't run the ball well, but they do it best when they run off their tackles. These two have been very good.
4. Linebacker
Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have been quieter in the last few weeks after starting the year like gangbusters, but that beats last year, when the linebackers were constantly making glaring mistakes. These two have had some coverage issues at times, but they are the team's two tackle leaders, each has 1.5 sacks or more and 5.5 tackles for loss or more, and Dean has an interception and three forced fumbles. Tommy Eichenberg has also been fairly solid in limited reps and continues to grow.
5. Safety
Jeremy Chinn and Treydan Stukes have played every single down together for the Raiders' defense this year, outside of a game or so when the latter was injured. They are currently third and fourth on the team in tackles, respectively, and both have an interception and several pass breakups. They get beat in coverage at times, but they've been mainly good on the back end and help in the run game.
6. Cornerback
This may seem high to some folks, especially after the game against the Jets, but look at the year as a whole: this defensive line cannot get home, and young cornerbacks are being forced to cover for way longer than they should, and against a quarterback in a clean pocket. They don't take the ball away much, outside of Zeke Masses, but for the most part, he, Eric Stokes and Darien Porter have been solid. Jermod McCoy is also coming along and showing flashes, so that is good as well.
7. Interior offensive line
The narrative that Tyler Linderbaum is struggling has become overblown, even if the interior is not playing well. Spencer Burford and Linderbaum have played every snap, but the Raiders have rotated three players at right guard because the unit has been struggling. They can't get push in short-yardage situations, a lot of the pass protection leaks come from the interior, and Las Vegas cannot run the ball unless it is between Burford and Kolton Miller. Hopefully, Trey Zuhn III is the answer.
8. Wide receiver
Although this group is not at the very bottom, this is more of an indictment of other units than it is praise of the wide receivers. Tre Tucker is the only reason that they are not at the bottom, as he's enjoyed a nice campaign and ranks among the top 25 pass-catchers in the NFL in yards. Cody White has also had his moments, catching three touchdowns. But until last week, the Raiders had gotten nothing from Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech has been hurt, and nobody else has contributed in the slightest.
9. Defensive end
It is unfortunately the Maxx Crosby show once again on the edge, and the Raiders' superstar isn't having his best season in terms of production, either. He's playing well, but just not getting home. Don't let Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce's stats fool you: they have not played at a high level, at least not consistently. Paye's pass-rush win rate is currently 4.9 percent, and Koonce is too up-and-down to be relied on. Someone has to step up, or everyone will be on the chopping block next year.
10. Running back
The Raiders' running back room is in disarray after Kubiak made the bold call to replace Ashton Jeanty with Mike Washington Jr. as the lead back in Week 8. The only reason this was even on the table is that Las Vegas, once again, has the worst rushing attack in the league. The fact that the team's run-block win rate is 15th-best in the NFL, according to ESPN, is a condemnation of the running back group, even if it has not been all their fault.
11. Defensive tackle
Las Vegas' defensive tackle group just gets walked down every week in the run game, and they have provided next to nothing when it comes to helping in the pass rush. As a group, they've logged just 2.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss on the year, which is putrid. They are the chief reason that the Raiders' defense struggles in every facet, and it is disappointing that more bodies weren't added to this room. Foley Fatukasi is arguably the best DT they have, and he was signed in the preseason.
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