‘I stand by that’ – Raiders GM John Spytek keeps it real regarding a position they should look into in the draft despite free agency additions
The Las Vegas Raiders added a new offensive line coach, a new center, and some new depth throughout the offensive line. But that doesn’t mean they won’t look to add more.
Beyond finding a better quarterback, one of the biggest Raiders storylines was the offensive line’s poor performance.
Even with the addition of center Tyler Linderbaum, Vegas still needed more on the OL. Head coach Klint Kubiak liked the tackles, but every OL position struggled last season. Most of the line may need restructuring, except for left tackle, center, and one guard position. The Raiders need an offensive line that can both protect the quarterback and run block for Ashton Jeanty.
How the offensive line will be addressed in the 2026 NFL Draft remains a mystery. Will they take at least one offensive lineman? Likely. Will it be a tackle or guard? Unclear, since both are needed, along with many other positions. When will they target the OL? Still unknown.
However, it is clear that the Raiders will likely target an offensive lineman in the draft, regardless of their confidence in the current OL and new OL coach.
Raiders GM John Spytek keeps it real regarding the OL in the draft
“Well, super excited to have Rico [Rick Dennison] here,” Spytek told reporters at the pre-draft presser on Tuesday. “He’s super accredited. I think he’s got four Super Bowls, Super Bowl rings, and it seems like everywhere he goes, they run the football and they protect the quarterback, and that’s a pretty good place to start with an offensive line.
“In terms of the draft this year, I’m happy that we added the guys we did, but I’ve never been anywhere where you feel like you’ve got too many offensive linemen.
“They’re such a hard position to acquire, whether it’s in the draft, it’s almost impossible in free agency, it feels like, especially at certain positions. And just because we’ve added certain guys through free agency doesn’t mean that we won’t be looking for offensive linemen, too. I’m on record of saying they’re sexy as hell, and I stand by that.”
If the Raiders draft an offensive lineman, the question is, which position? They need depth at tackle and at guard, possibly someone to compete for a starting spot at left or right guard, depending on where Jackson Powers-Johnson plays.
Breaking down the Raiders offensive tackle and offensive guard situations
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. However, with a good offensive line coach now, who’s to say he can’t be very good?
When you look at the guard position, across from JPJ, it’s between three players at the moment. The Raiders have signed former San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Spencer Burford, who has started 38 games in his career. This is a one-year deal. However, this seems like a prove-it type of deal that could end up being huge for Vegas.
Burford had 32 blown blocks last season, with 21 in the pass game and 11 in the run game. That put him at the 14th-most among all offensive guards last season, on just 550 total snaps. However, all of the players above him on this list have almost double the snaps he had. So, there certainly is work to be done.
The other option is Caleb Rogers. With Buford’s 2,165 snaps compared to Rogers’ 284, the Raiders will have to decide between experience and potential. Not to mention, Jordan Meredith is there waiting in the shadows, too. He had a bad 2025 at the center position, but in 2024 at the guard position, he was very good. In 546 snaps at LG in 2024, Meredith had just 10 blown blocks.
There will likely be a battle in training camp to decide who, including a potential rookie, will start. The rest will provide depth. Which positions are drafted, if any, remains to be seen.
