ESPN analyst reveals an interesting nugget on the ‘safe bet’ of one of the most intriguing position battles for the Raiders, and it’s not at QB
The Las Vegas Raiders have position battles everywhere on the roster, and one of the most important ones is at offensive guard.
The Las Vegas Raiders addressed their offensive line throughout the offseason, but the starting guard spots remain the largest unanswered question as training camp approaches.
Neither mandatory minicamp nor OTAs settled the competition, and that’s not unusual for this stage of the offseason. What is unusual is the depth Las Vegas has assembled at the position.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has a legitimate five-man battle on his hands. Rookie Trey Zuhn, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Spencer Burford, Jordan Meredith, and Caleb Rogers are all in the mix for two starting guard jobs. The Raiders need to find their pairing, and the options at the position are as deep as they’ve been in recent years. But, there seems to be a safe bet on who the starters are there. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden dropped a nugget in his recent story.
“Guard. Kubiak said there’s a lot of great competition at the position. It will be interesting to see how things shake out. Based on what was seen during the team’s offseason program, the safest bet is that Jackson Powers-Johnson will maintain his position as the starting right guard, while former San Francisco 49ers guard Spencer Burford starts on the left side. But anticipate second-year lineman Caleb Rogers to be in serious competition with Burford on the left side. Also, don’t rule out Trey Zuhn III, who has already shown that he can play all over the offensive line.” — McFadden
Trey Zuhn’s versatility adds a wrinkle
Zuhn isn’t being pigeonholed into a guard role. He saw reps at backup right tackle during minicamp and OTAs, and the Raiders clearly drafted him with versatility in mind. He’s talented enough to push for a starting guard job while providing insurance on the outside. That kind of flexibility matters when building a 53-man roster.
Then there’s Rogers, entering his second year after logging roughly 280 snaps at guard last season. He was decent, but it’s worth noting that the entire offensive line around him was one of the worst in the league. A better supporting cast could unlock more from Rogers than what was on display in 2025.
Burford brings starting experience to the table, though he hasn’t cemented himself as a full-time starter at any of his previous stops. That could change in Las Vegas, where the overall foundation along the line is significantly better than the one that surrounded him before.
The most likely outcome heading into camp is that Powers-Johnson remains at right guard and Burford slots in at left guard. That appears to be the early expectation, and there’s been plenty of speculation pointing in that direction. But the competition is real, and none of the other candidates should be ruled out.
At offensive tackle, there’s far less uncertainty. LT Kolton Miller returns to his usual spot. DJ Glaze is likely the guy at RT despite a 2025 in which he led the league in blown blocks. The Raiders don’t have many alternatives there, and the hope is that a better overall offensive line and a functional offense could help Glaze perform closer to his ceiling.
The overall picture looks much better
Tyler Linderbaum at center gives the Raiders one of the best players at his position in the league. And the depth across the line has improved drastically compared to a year ago. Las Vegas won’t have all the answers before training camp, and that’s fine. Guard is the spot to watch when camp opens. The fact that Kubiak has multiple viable options to sort through is a problem every team wishes it had.