SerpApi.Org
DJ Glaze will begin training camp as the likely starter at right tackle for the Raiders. However, this may be his last chance to prove he is a competent lineman in Las Vegas.
The Raiders had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, as Las Vegas managed to lead the league in sacks allowed and finish dead last in yards per carry. Despite making a massive investment at the center position, the Raiders are still relying on some of last year’s starters in 2026.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden highlighted DJ Glaze as a name to watch ahead of training camp. Glaze played a team high 99.9 percent of offensive snaps last season. But volume of snaps is where any praise of Glaze’s season ends.
As the Raiders right tackle, Glaze allowed 10 sacks, the second most in the NFL, and he allowed the third most pressures at 48. Glaze ranked 60th among 84 tackles by Pro Football Focus grading.
Despite the struggles on the offensive line, the Raiders only used one draft pick to stabilize the weakest position group on the team. Las Vegas selected Trey Zuhn III in the third round. Zuhn played left tackle for Texas A&M, but he is expected to move to guard in the NFL.
The Raiders did make Tyler Linderbaum the highest paid center in the NFL, luring him away from Baltimore with a 3 year, $81 million deal. But that did little to address Glaze’s performance in 2025.
The Raiders couldn't fix every hole on the roster in one offseason, meaning Glaze got a reprieve for his pitiful 2025 season. But another awful showing would surely mean the end of Glaze's time as a starter for the Raiders.
Offensive line coaching changes
One area for optimism in 2026 is the change in coaching. The Raiders offensive coaching staff was a disaster last season. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll never fit together, and Kelly was fired in November. Carroll also refused to dump his son, who was the offensive line coach, which led to offensive players having meetings without the coaches.
"It was that bad," an agent of a Raiders offensive lineman told ESPN in January. "They were meeting on their own and trying to figure it out together, which I have never heard of in my history of working in this league."
"There is some sort of nepotism going on," a different agent of a Raiders player said.
Simply changing out the coaching staff -- goodbye Carroll, hello Super Bowl champion Klint Kubiak -- should bring better play from the Raiders offensive line.
Glaze likely has one last season to make a favorable impression on the Raiders. While he has played in every game since being drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft, Glaze has not shown enough quality to be a starter on a team trying to win. The Raiders are in the midst of a rebuild, but they won’t be eager to send out Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins behind an offensive line that performs as poorly as last season.
