Raiders' biggest strength and most glaring weakness heading into training camp

Just Blog Baby · Jul 22, 2026 14:00 · 3 min read

Raiders' biggest strength and most glaring weakness heading into training camp — Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak speaks during a news conference during organized team activities (OTAs) at Intermountain Health Performance Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Las Vegas Raiders' passing attack should feature their TE duo. Defensively, they have a lot of questions in the young secondary before the 2026 NFL season.

In the next week, the Las Vegas Raiders will be back on the practice field en masse as they look to mold their roster for the 2026 NFL season and eventually cut the team down from 91 to 53 players. Before players put on pads, a couple of things stand out, both good and bad.

Every year, there are surprises at training camp, but the Raiders' biggest strength and most glaring weakness are both clear heading into late summer practices.

So, let's take a look at the best position group on the roster in Las Vegas and where the team will need a couple of players to exceed expectations or outside help to bolster a much weaker spot on the depth chart.

Raiders' tight end duo could be their leading pass-catchers

As the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator in the previous season, Klint Kubiak used multiple tight ends on 42.7 percent of his offensive plays, per Sharp Football Stats. If his tendencies carry over in Las Vegas, Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer will be heavily involved in the passing attack.

Regardless, it seems safe to pencil Bowers in for 100-plus catches and as the team leader in multiple receiving categories. Mayer also has a ton of potential, but it hasn't fully translated on the field yet. For Mayer, this year could be different, though.

The Raiders don't have an established lead wide receiver, so, their No. 2 tight end can fill that void.

Despite injuries and time away from the team to address a personal matter, Mayer has played at least 60% of the offensive snaps in all three of his seasons. If he gets that much playing time with an expanded role in the passing game, he should easily reach career highs as a secondary target.

Raiders' biggest weakness is their inexperienced secondary

First-time defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has a lot to sort out in the secondary, where there are many questions.

Will rookie fourth-rounder Jermod McCoy, who remains unsigned, challenge second-year pro Darien Porter for the No. 2 cornerback spot? If not, is Porter ready to be a starter?

Who is going to start at free safety after Isaiah Pola-Mao struggled at the position last year?

In 2025, opposing quarterbacks targeted the Raiders' safeties with a lot of success. Jeremy Chinn and Pola-Mao allowed 10 touchdowns combined in coverage.

Heading into training camp, the Raiders need McCoy to arrive with a clean bill of health and one of the Arizona rookies, Treydan Stukes or Dalton Johnson, to showcase their coverage skills for solid competition at cornerback and safety.

If none of that happens, they could be looking through the scrap heap of late summer cuts to bolster those positions. The battles at cornerback and safety will be two to watch closely in the coming weeks.

Moe Moton writes about the Raiders for Just Blog Baby. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.