The Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line struggles in 2025 were well-documented. The unit was among the NFL's worst, contributing to an offense that ranked last in both scoring and yards. They allowed a league-leading 64 sacks, while the rushing attack was last in yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry.
Fans entered the offseason hopeful that fixing the offensive line would be the top priority for the front office, as making life as easy as possible for last year's No. 6 overall pick, Ashton Jeanty, and this year's projected No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, would be pivotal to unlocking the offense.
Plenty of speculation has surfaced about the Raiders wanting top free agent offensive linemen. It now appears that the changes to the unit may not be as drastic as originally assumed. Vincent Bonsignore suggested that the overhaul expected by Raider Nation may not be the front office's plan.
The Raiders may not use free agency to bolster their offensive line
Las Vegas has plenty of holes on the roster; however, no issue stood out more than the play of the offensive line. While the group will get a boost from the return of Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson, many fans assumed that they would look for outside reinforcements for the unit.
The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore appeared on Jesse Merrick's Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, where he revealed that that may not be the case due to the draft capital the Raiders have invested into the unit in recent years.
"I think there's this misnomer that there's this major overhaul that's needed. I don't think the Raiders, the people in the building, see it that way," Bonsignore explained. "They've used draft assets, and quite a few of them over the last couple of years, to bring in, whether it's Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round or DJ Glaze in the third round, two third-round picks last year in Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. That's a lot of draft capital, and there's a lot of people in that building that believe in those guys and believe that they can be assets moving forward. So, I wouldn't expect a major -- and plus you're going to get Kolton Miller back, obviously."
Las Vegas has invested four Day 2 selections in the last two drafts into the offensive line. Powers-Johnson starred as a rookie, and Glaze performed well in his inaugural campaign. A year under Brennan Carroll, however, did the duo of 2024 picks and the 2025 rookies more harm than good.
Glaze struggled at right tackle in 2025, leading to questions about whether he is a better long-term fit at guard. Powers-Johnson had a rough year for multiple reasons. Rogers and Grant, on the other hand, showed promise, but did not play nearly enough to truly evaluate them in their rookie season.
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Amid rumors that Tyler Linderbaum and Connor McGovern may not hit the open market, Merrick speculated that Powers-Johnson and Rogers could both get a look at center in 2026, even though Rogers never played center in college.
General manager John Spytek would not commit to whether the 2024 second-round pick would be at center or guard during his press conference at the 2026 NFL scouting combine.
"Whoever the best five are, they'll be out there," Spytek said. "And I love Jackson. He had a hard season, obviously, for a lot of different reasons. He's healthy now. And we're going to talk to Klint (Kubiak) and Rick Dennison and the O-line group, and we'll figure out the best five to run with."
Head coach Klint Kubiak shared a similar sentiment when asked about Powers-Johnson.
"I see a versatile guy. A guy that can play guard and center," Kubiak said. "Where he's going to be for us, that's to be seen, but the fact that he can do multiple spots is really exciting. I really like JPJ's play style. I like turning on that Chicago game and seeing him being physical and playing through the echo of the whistle. That's the kind of mindset I want our guys to play with."
Kubiak noted that the Raiders have some pieces on the offensive line, while adding that he trusts Dennison to get the most out of the younger players. While things could change depending on who is available when free agency begins in March, Raiders fans may not get the big fish signing that they have hoped for on the offensive line.