Klint Kubiak’s early evaluation of a 2026 position group may tell what the Raiders have planned early in the draft
The Raiders may hold off on taking an offensive tackle early in the draft.
A main storyline for the Las Vegas Raiders this season was the need to fix the offensive line. If they’re going to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, they need to protect him.
In addition to protecting the quarterback, the Raiders also need an offensive line that can run block for running back Ashton Jeanty. Reflecting on last season, most of the offensive line may require restructuring, except at left tackle and whatever position Jackson Powers-Johnson plays. However, new head coach Klint Kubiak views the right tackle position more positively than many, despite its perceived need.
“Obviously, there is some stability at both tackle spots,” Kubiak told reporters at the NFL Combine. “You have some young picks in JPJ (Jackson Powers-Johnson) and Caleb (Rogers). It’s a work in progress, still learning all of the guys, still kind of catching up on last season with what they have done.
“What I do know is that we will have a clear teaching style. I’ve seen Rick Dennison get the best out of his guys. The main thing is that we get them all playing together, and that comes with teaching our system. I do like the guys that we have.”
Raiders may go with an offensive tackle later in the draft than many initially thought
If Kubiak thinks there is stability at the offensive tackle position, he’s not going to want to change that, or why would he even bring that up as a positive to the position group? Stability means something is stable, or is being without much change—adding a player worth starting would mean there is no longer stability. So, with all that said, they likely aren’t putting offensive tackle high on their list of needs.
That approach seems logical, given DJ Glaze’s promise. Yet he led the league last season with 54 blown blocks, 40 of them in pass protection, according to Sports Info Solutions. He was more reliable in the run game, though. Also, not every blown block falls on a single player; factors like stunts and blitzes complicate protection. Glaze had trouble in situations like that. His critical thinking wasn’t great when there looked to be two players to be blocked on his side of the offensive line.
The good thing is, everything he is bad at is fixable. Glaze has some decent power traits, and his footwork isn’t terrible. However, there are times when he doesn’t anchor well enough. His best trait may be getting out on the edge and blocking finesse edge rushers who have a bit of bend to them. Overall, the Raiders had the fourth-most blown blocks last year.
Kubiak saying all of this doesn’t mean they won’t draft a tackle. Kubiak saying there is stability simply means he likes that there’s not a ton of moving parts every year. There is continuity there, for a team that hasn’t had much continuity. In 2026, the Raiders can still draft a tackle, but maybe it’s on Day 3 now rather than Day 2.
If there is any position the Raiders were going to draft on the offensive line, it’s either guard or center. If they see Powers-Johnson as a center, then you draft a guard or maybe even two. If they see JPJ as a guard, you draft a center and maybe a guard later in the draft. The issue is, we don’t really know where the Raiders see JPJ. On Tuesday, Raiders GM John Spytek said the best five will play when he was asked where he sees JPJ playing.
Regardless of what Kubiak said about the tackle position, it’s obvious the Raiders need to address the offensive line in some way. We will see how they attack that in free agency first, and then the
Las Vegas Raiders News
Raiders 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Picking the perfect 2026 rookie class before the NFL Draft Combine
The Raiders are ready for the Combine.
