Raiders’ O-Line Might Finally Not Be Offensive

Spytek On the Hunt

The offensive line, to be honest, has been offensive, and I don’t mean productive scoring.  It was such a glaring need that way back on January 5 of this year, GM John Spytek minced no words in talking about fixing it, and the priority it was, and is.

"We're going to attack this entire offseason with an extremely open mind. And anybody that can help bolster that offensive line and do the job required will be considered. We have a lot of cap space; we've got some elite draft picks and maybe adding a veteran presence in there or two would be helpful but not necessarily an absolute necessity. We're not going to begin with the end in mind."

Healthy at Last?

First, the Raiders have two key players back on the line, G Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ) and LT Kolton Miller, who both saw their 2025 campaigns cut short by injury.

Kolton Miller is the bookened left tackle, who around the National Football League is lauded as a top-five player at the most important offensive position not called quarterback.

JPJ, through no fault of his own, found himself last year in the cross hairs of a completely dysfunctional franchise that had some that saw him at guard and not center, and some that didn’t like his game.  The second part was foolish, as NFL teams swarmed to see if the Raiders' sophomore player (in 2025) could become available, even though many had him with a secure first—round grade when the Raiders stole him in the second round (44th Overall Pick) in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Who’s New?

The Raiders made two additions so far this offseason, and both are significant, for various reasons.

I told you the moment Pete Carroll was fired and reported that Klint Kubiak was the number one candidate to replace him, that Tyler Linderbaum would be a top free-agent target.

Baring something of epic proportions (and we are dealing with the Raiders) Indian Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza will be the Raiders franchise signal caller in 2026, and Tyler Linderbaum is not just the best center in the NFL, he is a generaltion talent who is already considered by many to be either already there, or close to being the third best center in league history.

He has the feet of a ballerina who can get down the field 40 yards on a pass play, blocking.  He plays like a possessed demoniac from the tombs of Gadara, who is gentle, kind, and warm off of it.  A superstar who operates from a place of humility, Linderbaum will be the quarterback of the offensive line, who will be the security blanket that a young QB like Mendoza needs.

At only 25, the Raiders reset the market for what they paid Linderbaum, making him the highest-paid IOL (Interior Offensive Lineman) in the NFL, but paying him like an elite offensive tackle.  Consider that, and then think about what one NFL GM told me recently, “I don’t care what the Raiders paid, that team, that situation, that player:  they got a deal.”

Additionally, the Raiders added Spencer Burford, who played his first four seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and started 36 of 58 games.  He will compete for a starting guard job, but many feel he will end up as the backup.  Not because he is a poor player, but because of the Raiders' youth movement.

Projecting the Raiders Offensive Line Depth Chart

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