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MENDOZA MANIA!
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2020
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Raiders #27
DEN #8; KC #12; LAC #13
Biggest strength: Tight end. An injury-riddled 2025 campaign is not enough for us to overlook superstar Brock Bowers. The 2024 first-round pick began his career with 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns and was just as dominant when healthy in 2025. Despite missing five games and battling through early-year limitations, Bowers finished with 64 catches for 680 yards and seven TDs -- all three of which were top 10 at the position. The 23-year-old is a strong bet for a big bounce back with Kirk Cousins and/or Fernando Mendoza under center in 2026. Michael Mayer and former Carolina starter Ian Thomas add terrific depth. -- Clay
Biggest weakness: Interior defensive line. The good news is that the Raiders have some continuity up front, returning all three interior linemen who played at least 50% of their defensive snaps last season. The bad news is that none of the three -- Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu and Thomas Booker IV -- were especially good last season, combining for 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. Free agent addition Benito Jones, Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues also struggled in 2025 and will compete for snaps up front. -- Clay
X factor for 2026: The right side of the offensive line. This season needs to be about the development of Mendoza and figuring out who can contribute to a contender in the future. The right side could be a weakness in pass protection if Jackson Powers-Johnson (guard) and DJ Glaze (tackle) are starting. Powers-Johnson has a 90.9% pass block win rate at guard (below average), and Glaze's 85.5% pass block win rate was in just the 6th percentile among tackles last season. But if they can improve their pass protection, then the Raiders' offensive line will be in good shape to support Mendoza. -- Walder
Nonstarter to know: G Caleb Rogers. The Raiders' offensive line was a problem last season, but Rogers was not. He was primarily a tackle at Texas Tech before moving inside for the Raiders, and in six starts, he had a 90.7% pass block win rate. The Raiders are moving to more of a zone-running game in 2026, and that would seem to fit Rogers' skill set. He'll compete with Jordan Meredith and Spencer Burford for the starting left guard spot and provide the Raiders with good depth in case injuries hit the line. -- Schatz
